 His legacy |
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Death of a child
Sorry I didn't get to stay.
To laugh and run and play.
To be there by your side.
I'm sorry that I had to die.
God sent me down to be with you,
to make your loving heart anew.
To help you look up and see
Both God and little me.
Mommy, I wish I could stay.
Just like I heard you pray.
But, all the angels did cry
when they told little me goodbye.
God didn't take me cause He's mad.
He didn't send me to make you sad.
But to give us both a chance to be
a love so precious .. don't you see?
Up here no trouble do I see
and the pretty angels sing to me.
The streets of gold is where I play
you'll come here too, mommy, someday.
Until the day you join me here,
I'll love you mommy, dear.
Each breeze you feel and see,
brings love and a kiss from me.
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Eulogy
Joshua Aaron McLaughlin
Born: January 26, 1999
Returned Home to The Father: April 12, 2005
Joshua Aaron, a precious angel loaned to us from our Heavenly Father on January 26, 1999 at 1:19 p.m., and one who returned home to his Heavenly Father on April 12, 2005 at 1:00 p.m. Joshua blessed us more in his six years of life than we can ever express in words. At the time of his birth, we knew there was divine purpose for his precious little life. About 4 months after his birth, we knew Joshua's time with us would be short, but we determined it would be a cherished time. We held fast to our faith, knowing that God had pre-ordained his destiny and determined we would show him genuine love and adoration as long as we had him.
Joshua affected many lives during his earthly journey. His smile will forever remain etched on our hearts. And for those of us who were very close to Joshua, his laughter will forever echo through our souls. He was full of much life and character even though he was overwhelmed by life's challenges.
When Joshua was a baby, I often sat and sang songs to him such as Jesus Loves You, Kumbaya and several other Christian songs which gave him much comfort. As I sang the words to him, his face became radiant. We read him books, listened to Christian tapes with him and clapped his little hands in accompaniment to the songs. His great-grandmother, and my mother, Elizabeth Parker, found joy in playing itsy-bitsy spider with him and watching his little hands move in spider-like fashion as she sang. Each time his mother entered his room and she spoke to him, he smiled wide and his face beamed with the assurance of her love.
At 10 1/2 months of age, Joshua was placed into a Christian nursing home in Temple, Texas where he became know as "Baby Josh." It was there where he had many loving arms wrapped around him at all times. The nursing staff sat and lovingly cradled him in their arms for many hours on their own time. God was exceedingly good to him and kept many ministering angels encamped about him at all times.
We will never fully understand why Joshua's earthly stay was so brief. The Word of God says there are many things which are hidden from us, but God knows all and sees all. As you hear these words, which King David penned in Psalm 139, consider them as Joshua rejoicing in his hear;"O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my every thought when far away. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You place your hand of blessing on my head. I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I ride the winds of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there yoru hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me!"
Joshua would not desire that any of us grieve over his going home to be with The Father. He would rather we rejoice in knowing he is completely healed; he is walking, laughing, giggling, playing, and eating for the first time in The Father's House. And more than anything else, he would desire that we would all come to the salvation knowledge of His Son, Jesus, so we can one day be joined with him again in Heaven for eternity.
Joshua, my precious grandson, you are gone from us, but only temporarily. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Soon we all hope to be home with you rejoicing, but until then, we will constantly thank our Heavenly Father for His precious gift in you and for your total healing.
We shall see you soon. We thank The Father for His continued mercies and that He will never let you forget just HOW MUCH you were loved and how you blessed many lives here on this earth. I miss you my precious angel baby!
To my precious daughter, my special blessing from God, I would say, "Your grief is real as was your love of your baby boy. Be comforted in knowing he is gone from you for only a short time, but as soon as Jesus returns, you will again see him and love him. Be comforted in knowledge that your family and friends are here for you and love you. And always know we are just a phone call away."
To us, his family and to the family friends...be comforted in knowing that Joshua is being cradled in the arms of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I ask that you would stay close to my daughter, Charity, to his older sister and brother, Michaela and Ryan, and to Joshua's father, Patrick, during this time of mouring. I ask that there would be no malice toward any of them, but only genuine expression of love. Today is only one of many days they will grieve over the loss of such a precious angel from heaven. I also ask that you keep them in your prayers for God's total love to envelop them.
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