He did that - even at 15 years old - even in front of his friends - really everywhere. I love that he still called me mommy. He would tell his friends on xbox that he had to go because 'his mommy was asking for his help'. The ways he showed love to me spoke so deeply to my heart.
Well, I wanted to share something with you. It is dear to my heart indeed.
Jacob was full of joy. Jacob was full of encouragement and hope. Many of you already know this. Many of you saw this every day at school - or at church. He was kind and gentle. He had a servant's heart and was just overall a wonderful young man. There is a reason. You see, Jake knew that he messed up every day. He knew that I messed up every day. He knew that the earth is full of broken people. He knew that we were no exception. But, he knew something deeper... something far more important.
He knew that God loved him, God loved us anyway.
Right in the middle of his brokenness. Right in the middle of our family's brokenness, he knew that God saw us and He loved us. He had provided a way for us to be healed. God didn't wait on us to fix ourselves, or clean ourselves up. God knew before we ever took a breath that we would not be able to live in a way that was pleasing on our own. And God had a plan to help us - to give us an opportunity to be with Him forever anyway. You see, when God created us - the human race - He created us to live among us - with us. He wanted to walk with us - in all of His perfection and Holiness, He desired fellowship with us. It is staggering really to think about.When sin entered the world, He had to remove Himself from us. He is altogether Holy. He cannot be in the presence of our sin. And it grieved His Spirit. So, He made a way - through Jesus Christ. He said that a Son would be born to us - a Savior that would come to earth to redeem us (Luke 1:31-38; 2:8-20). His precious Son came as a baby - lived a perfect life - and died because I am sinful, because Jake was sinful, because you are sinful. He took on my sin - He took on the sin of the whole world. He took our shame upon Himself so that I could spend eternity in a real place called Heaven if I only confess that I am sinful and need His salvation. John 3:16-17 says this, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
Right now many people are asking why my Jacob died. They want autopsy results to reveal the "problem". They want reasons. Inconclusive is not good enough. I understand that. But, for me, it is more precious that it is a mystery to us. I believe with all of my heart that God took him - much like Enoch. God walked beside him and delighted in him. And, on February 5th, 2013 at 2:00pm, it was time for him to go home - to walk with God.
Jake's work here was completed.
He had accomplished all that God had intended for him.
He had lived life well. That is why it hurts so badly for us. He was an amazing man of God. His friends told me that at camp they called him Mac. At first, I didn't like the sound of that - and then they helped me understand that it stood for Man After Christ. Wow. What an endorsement! Nothing greater can be said about anyone.
He was at school, he was playing dodgeball, and then he collapsed. I believe that his spirit was gone before his body hit the ground. I believe that he was in the presence of Jesus before he fell. The coaches did everything correctly. They tried with all of their might to bring my boy back. They did everything they could. But, he was already in the presence of Jesus giving glory to the One that deserves it all- why would he want to leave that to come back here?
I cannot grieve the same way that others grieve. Don't misunderstand me... I grieve. I mourn from the depths of my soul. I MISS MY BOY!!! He was an honor and a blessing to me every single day. Hear me... every. single. day. But, he is with my Jesus. He no longer has any burden to carry. I am mourning the times I thought I had ahead of us with him. Graduation. Marriage. Grandkids.
In a moment the other afternoon, I was at home all by myself. The house was so quiet. I was playing worship music and a song came on that says, "I am leaning on you Jesus, with all my longing laid before you now. And all I'm needing is you Jesus, and all my wanting is satisfied somehow. There is no higher worth in all the earth but to love you, how I love you. No greater call, no life at all but to love you... How I love you." Later on it says, "How I love you... love you, Jesus, Jesus. How I love you, love you... Jesus - oh how I love you, I love you."
It was at that moment in the song that I fell to the ground.
Knees hitting hard.
Tears falling hard.
Crying out - singing from the depths of my soul that I did love Him - though, I could not honestly sing that all of my wanting was satisfied. In that moment, in that very real moment with my God... I told Him that I want my boy - and though I want to be fully satisfied, I was not... and I was struggling to love Him. In that moment He looked on me with compassion. He knelt down beside me and He lifted my face. He loved that I was honest before Him. He loved that I - in my humanness, in my brokenness... was still desperately trying to love Him with all that I have. It was enough for my King. It was enough.
My heart does grieve. I assure you. But, my heart does not grieve without hope.
I am praying - begging the Lord that if any one of you reading this doesn't understand this hope - this peace that I have ~ to the deep places in my heart and my soul ~ that you reach out to me or to someone you know that has placed all of their hope in Jesus. Ask me anything you want... I want to share the hope that Jacob had. The hope that I have. Our goodbye is only temporary. I will get to be reunited with my Jake one day. I will get to stand in the Holy presence of my Jesus - right beside my precious boy and my beautiful momma. And we will no longer hurt or cry or have pain. We will be healed. Completely restored to the glory that God intended for us in the very beginning of time.
God saw me in my sin. He loved me anyway. He did not withhold His Son from me. My salvation cost the God of the Universe - the Creator of all things - His one and only Son. How dare I try and withhold my Son from Him? You see, God is allowing me to share in suffering unlike anything I have ever known. He is allowing me to understand how costly my salvation was. It is beautiful. Friends, the pain of losing a son... the ache in my heart, the tears in the night, the longing for Jesus to come now... it is all very real. But, if God chooses to use my boy's life to bring many to Himself - then I want to have a heart that blesses His name in that. I long to be wholehearted in my devotion to my God. He is worthy. He is ever faithful and true and worthy! He did not withhold anything from me. So, today I rest in the love of my Most High God. The Almighty One. I rest in the peace that He brings to my spirit as I come to Him in my grief. Oh please - find your hope in Jesus. Find your hope in the One that will satisfy every longing of your heart if you will just surrender your heart to Him.
