Childlike faith

By now most of you have heard that Lia's friend Hannah Hower went to be with Jesus in heaven this past Friday night. Dan and I have been heartbroken for our friends Doug and Erika because we can't imagine how we would feel to loose a five year old daughter. But what Lia has said about Hannah has been so amazing to me. The simplicity and purity of her faith is really amazing. Lia is definitely sad that Hannah is gone, but yet she doesn't really understand why we are so sad because in her mind, heaven is such an AMAZING and AWESOME place where you are with Jesus and where there are no tears, no unhappiness, etc. When I say something like, "Hannah won't have any more birthdays" Lia will say in a very exasperated voice, "Momma, you are not understanding! Hannah can do everything she did here, but it's just that now she'll be in heaven. She can have birthday parties, play, sing, dance, etc." And I thought to myself, Lia is right. Hannah is truly living now!

In Luke 18:16-17 it says, "Then Jesus called the children over to him and said to the disciples, 'Let the little children come to me! Never send them away! For the Kingdom of God belongs to men who have hearts as trusting as these little children." And now I'm understanding more of what Jesus meant when I see the kind of simple and trusting faith that Lia has about Hannah and about heaven. But here on earth, our hearts still break for those that Hannah left behind because we know how accutely they will miss her bright smiling face, her joyful nature, and her complete zest for life! We will miss you very much Hannah H. but we rejoice knowing that you are experiencing more joy than you have ever known now that you are in the presence of the Living God!