Our Precious Tiny Treasures
Our precious tiny treasures are those we never got to see or hold, or perhaps they left us way too early. All human life is valuable in God’s eyes, even the tiniest of babies, because every life from the moment of conception is created in God’s eternal image. God has a purpose for every life He creates. Always. He never creates anyone or anything haphazardly or without purpose. Your baby fulfilled a purpose. Say your baby’s name……. He or she fulfilled God’s purpose.
Scripture teaches that life begins at conception. God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” God can also say that about each of us.
In the Bible in 2 Samuel 12, we read the story of King David and the death of his one-week-old son. He said in verse 23, “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
These words have always brought me great comfort, because they remind me that death is not final. This life is not all there is. It is only a temporary separation from the ones we love. This knowledge helps lessen the pain of separation, but it doesn’t make it go away. It can’t…because a piece of our heart is missing, a piece that has gone on ahead. With the death of someone we love, our longing for heaven grows stronger, because that is where our heart is, taken there a piece at a time by the ones we loved on this earth.
Miscarriage is often the “silent loss.” Whether miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, or infant death, each one is truly a loss and often gets overlooked or brushed off. But each one is still the loss of a child, a loss of hopes and dreams and life.
No one knows the devastation and heartache of losing a baby more than a mother or father, but rarely is it discussed. The parents are told to move on with their lives and forge ahead but the pain is always there. Grief is the normal human response to loss.
Our babies are not forgotten. And I want you to know this: Your child is alive and safe in the arms of Jesus right now. Babies and young children were very special and loved by Jesus while He walked on this earth, and He loves them now in heaven.
I have been asked, “Will we recognize our loved ones in heaven?” That’s a great question. Just as Peter recognized Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, who lived centuries before Peter, I believe with all my heart we will recognize our precious tiny treasures who have gone before us.
Perhaps you had to say “good-bye” before you said “Hello.” Maybe you never had the opportunity to hold your baby on earth. Now, this is how I imagine it to be: You get to heaven one day and see Jesus first, and you will thank Him and worship Him for who He is. And then He says to you, “I have someone I want you to meet.” He looks over His shoulder and motions for someone to come to Him. “This is _________________” (you fill in the blank). What joy there is in heaven at that moment! The Bible tells us we can’t really even begin to imagine how wonderful and perfect heaven is. We know it is far better than human words can ever describe.
No matter the circumstances, the experience of losing a child is devastating and changes your life – and it can challenge your faith. How can you possibly maintain hope in Jesus Christ in the face of such loss?
Love Jesus. Trust Him. And you will see your baby in heaven and have all eternity together. That is our hope – to see Jesus and those we’ve loved on earth. During this in between time, however, God promises that He is with us and that His grace is sufficient. What is grace? Those beautiful forever gifts that only come from God, such as His love, mercy, forgiveness, His presence, strength, comfort, peace, joy, wisdom, hope, and so much more. You can continue to live and heal, find joy again, and help others find healing as well. You are not alone.
If we let go of our hope and faith in God, then we have another loss. So, no matter what this life on earth throws at us, we choose to hold on to our faith and hope in God. Somehow, He will always make a way. God will provide the grace and strength we need to endure whatever trials come our way. We will see our precious tiny treasures again.