Thursday, February 12, 2009
From The Gray Family
Well it's been a little over a week now and we miss Josie so much. Every day is really tough on us not having her here. We have been stopped everywhere we go and people are telling us things like how Josie inspired them. They also tell us stories about how their children have been inspired by Josie. 2 ballfields where Josie played softball want to dedicate things for Josie and churches are wanting to do special things in remembrance of her as well. I know people people are still praying for our family and we are very grateful. Life has not been the same without her. We can't wait until the day that we see her again! It has been so windy lately. I tell Heather thats Josie breathing down on us telling us she is fine.
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God Bless your family. Josie touched many lifes, many you may never know about. What a special young lady! You will remain in our prayers!
ReplyDeleteDenise
You're right, Josie is just fine, breathing down from heaven showing us all what strong healthy lungs she has now!
ReplyDeletePlease give Heather a hug for me.
Kristin C.
You all are so strong as well. I can not imagine what you are going through losing your daughter. I do pray for you and for all of the people that were friends with Josie. It is hard for children to understand when someone they love dies. I pray that God will give them peace and understanding and provide comfort to all of you during this sad time.
ReplyDeleteGod bless!
We will miss Josie. Everyone is praying for your famiy. Josie made an impact on all of us :)
ReplyDeleteJosie was such a inspiration on so many of us. She is just so precious. This is a really hard time on you all but please let it pull you closer together as a family. She is having a blast with the heathly lungs she has now.There is nothing that will get in her way now.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss. parents should never out live their child but then again she isnt really gone. she is in heaven breathing without any pain. she is still here with us in spirt in mind and in heaven. she touched so many people like me who only have her stories about her and have friends that were friends with her.i prayed for her and now i pray for u.again i am truly sorry for your loss.josie sounded like a girl who could raise your spirts even when she was ill.
ReplyDelete-BMS 8th grade student
Just want you to know you are still being lifted up in prayer that God will comfort you and sustain you. I believe Josie touched more lives for Jesus in her 14 years than most of us will in 80! Her life is a testimony of the wonderful Christian family you are.
ReplyDeletei hope everything is okay. we all miss josie, she is in a better place and im always seeing peoples status being josie gray gone but not forgotten,etc. i will miss her she was an inspriration that touch all of our hearts and she was an angel from above sent to tell us to try hard at everything we do and never give up you can do it
ReplyDeleterest in peace josie hannah gray we love you
I know that yall are having a hard time but we are still praying for you.
ReplyDeleteHello Heather,
ReplyDeleteAfter a conversation with your Dad today, he asked me to post the following email a friend of mine wrote after Josie went to be with Jesus. She too has given a child back to the Lord, and has prayed for your family through these last months. Anyway, it is my prayer that the Lord will use her words to comfort with which she herself has been comforted of God. II Cor. 1:4.
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 8:03 AM
Subject: Ponderings
Dear Dena,
Its been a while, since I pondered in an email. Have you ever wondered why "Jesus wept" at Lazarus' death. Surely He knew He was about to resurrect Lazarus. So why was He weeping. Maybe a two-fold reason -
I think He wept first because His friends (Martha and Mary) were hurting and themselves weeping. So He wept with them and for them. Funny how we hurt and weep for others, even others we don't know, like Josie and her mom. The first few days they will be rather numb from exhaustion and all the details that now have to be taken care of, but there will be that moment probably after the funeral and after all the friends and family have gone home and back to the normalcy of their own lives, when Josie's mom will realize she is not going to walk through that door again and there in fact is not going to be another hug. You wonder how others can go on with their life so casually while your own life is shattered and in pieces.
But that brings us to the second reason "Jesus wept". I think He wept because He knew that Martha and Mary didn't realize that He was THE Resurrection. They didn't realize that death is not the end of any thing for any body. Death is just the entrance into a different phase of eternity. Whether the grave has the "victory" or whether death "stings" depends on one important decision that we are given the opportunity to make. Do we know Him, have we received Him as our Lord and our Savior?
To some not a big deal until one realizes that the answer to that question determines which path you travel for eternity. I thought, how cool (not the best word, but the word that came to mind when I had the thought so I will use it here) that with Josie, death has no sting, the grave has no victory. Because she knew Him as her Resurrection.
I hope Josie's mom already has that realization. Somehow it took me a while to get there. As moms we just need to feel the touch and hear the voice of those we have travailed in pain to bring forth. The price we pay to love our children, while we wouldn't trade the love nor want any less of it, is high. It is deep and it is painful. It is so easy to think it is so unfair. But what is unfair about being able to really feel being wrapped in the Father's embrace tell Him you love Him (and have Him tell you He loves you) face to face.
Sort of strengthens that cry, you know - the "Come Lord Jesus" cry. Funny thought - I wondered, has she met David yet. Interesting how we think!!
So yes, it is interesting how we weep for others, but thankfully our weeping is not as those who have no Hope. May Josie's mom know and experience Him as Grace, as her Comforter in the days, months, and years ahead. May He provide her with someone to walk beside her who will help her up when she falls down and who will remind her that He is not done with her just yet and if needed may there be someone to shoot the snowmen. And yes, may there come a day when Josie's mom is able to use her experience to comfort and bless someone else.
Although I suppose we will never know, it would be interesting to know how many and how, people have been affected by following Josie's journey. May the Lord now use Josie's mom's journey in the same fashion - to strengthen her own walk and to convict and influence others to strengthen their walk with the Lord for His praise and His glory. I hope Josie's mom is familiar with 1 Thes. 4:14b. Because whether the Lord calls us home to be with Himself or whether we are here and "He brings them with Him" - what a day of rejoicing that will be.
Have a good day at JTS. May we both rejoice in this day that He has made as He creates in us a clean heart and may He renew a right spirit within us.
tanya p.
Everyone at church has been praying for Jordan and the rest of your family. I loved Josie so much words cant express it. I will miss her just as much as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteBailee Wallace
Happy Mothers Day I know Josie is looking down and smiling on you. I think about her everyday.
ReplyDeleteShelby
i'm not sure if you guys ever check this, but just wanted to tell you josie and your whole family have really been on my mind lately. i've been praying for you to have a strength that only comes from Him. you are still an inspiration to me
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