dear Prayer Warriors,
Do you know the Little Golden Book series for kids? There is one book called Goodnight Night, Little Bear. I repeatedly read it to Simon. It’s about a Papa bear looking around in every room and asking mama where his son is because it's bedtime. As the story builds it gets more and more silly because his son is on papa bear’s shoulder the whole time. Finally Papa Bear decides to eat a piece of chocolate cake, lo and behold the missing son climbs down and eagerly asks for some cake too… That’s the image I have of Simon and me. While he was alive he clung eagerly and embraced all of who I was, loving to be around me, on my shoulders. We shared such joy and playfulness. The gift of salvation and eternal life makes me think of the cake in the story. Simon got down off my shoulders, consumed it and went to sleep. Now he is fully satisfied! Amen.
Remembering Simon
God’s plan and mission for Simon on earth was complete a year ago. I remember pleading at the hospital bed with God a year ago: “Lord didn’t you ask me to impress on my children how to love you with all my mind, soul, heart, and strength? When I sit with Simon, when I walk along the road with him, when I lie down to sleep and when I get up? I’m not done Lord, I don’t want to be done!” The hard thing about death is that I went from talking to Simon about God daily to not doing so at all. We went from hundreds of shared experiences a week to zero. But praise God for 6 years of hundreds upon hundreds of weekly experiences together. I got to know Simon Emmanuel inside and out!
Believe me when I say: Simon was/is a living stone because he trusted God’s only Cornerstone and Capstone of the Church, Jesus Christ. By faith, Simon was called to become a living stone in God’s house. That spiritual structure on earth still lives on, of which it's been said “the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Simon's stone remains on this Church wall among the Children of God. He remains God’s possession.
While he was with us, Simon couldn't help but offer spiritual sacrifices of songs acceptable to Him. This worship overflowed, we have preserved about a dozen songs he sang and a few he wrote too. I played one of these songs on July 5th when we marked the anniversary of his death. Simon declared the praises of Jesus who called him out of the darkness into His wonderful light where he is today. Some of you may wonder if I am puffing up this son of mine to be more than he was. I never pressured Simon to write a song for God, I never coerced him, never forced him. The evidence speaks for itself, his sin made him woeful, his prayers restored him in Christ, and joy described him frequently. Simon is a trophy of God’s grace.
For anyone who wants to know the source of Simon’s joy and to follow Christ as he did down the narrow road that leads to eternal life. I invite you to consider the cost it will take for you to turn from your sins and selfishness, then to consider the cost Jesus paid in taking the punishment accumulated for all your sins. Then in wondrous faith, claim the gift of the Savior’s blood who restores you to the Father. In prayer confess, lay down and with Him turn from your sin. Take off your burdens at the feet of Christ the King. He meets you there and raises you into new life with an everlasting hope. God’s Word says today is the day, now, while we were still sinners Christ died for us. For those who believe in this forgiveness, it is by grace that you have been saved through faith, this is not from yourself it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
Remembering our help this last year
The second part I wanted to share today is the kingship of Christ over our family this last year as we lost so much of what was dearest to us. This past year we lived in the greatest of heartbreak, sadness, and burden. Our living hope in Jesus gave us a place to run to with all our broken pieces. We ran to the Father, we didn’t hesitate because God the Father knows what it is like to see His Son die. So we ran to Him again, and again, and again. Glory to God who met us in the valley of death, in the fullness of our sorrow and didn’t leave us there. From that spot we renewed our trust in Him. This helped us hear the voice of our Shepherd to draw us back into life and He gave the Holy Spirit to illuminate our path in Scripture.
Glory to Jesus, for loving us and being our example. Jesus and His never-ending love for the Church helped me see that marital unity is paramount in our trials. Jesus amid the Church’s trials spends His time building up His bride with more “living stones” and bonding them together in a Refiner’s fire. Jesus united us to His body in prayer. We needed others to hope with us and to mourn with us. Jesus is the Shepherd that knew what we needed; His love didn’t fail.
Glory to Spirit for causing us to wonder and awe at where Simon is according to the Bible. He is with Jesus, in Heaven, with all its properties and qualities and purities. The Holy Spirit made my heart desire heaven for my home more than ever before. The world is not my home. I went from thinking that the best is yet to come, to knowing that heaven is yet to come! When it does we will be with God forever. What love. Singing and praising like Simon did is my sacrifice offering to the Lord as well.
At the culmination of Simon’s life on earth, I can picture him saying the same words King David wrote in Psalm 71:
“O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted in you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes You have been with me from birth. From my mother’s womb You have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising You.”
Remembering July 5th 2023
The Lord loaded up our day with love and grace. Family traveled from near and far, all of us surprised that it’s been a year. The memories and the gift of Simon are still fresh. Families from Denver drove down, Simon’s homeschool co-op friends were in full force. We were blessed, hopeful in the Lord, and surrounded. For me it was such an encouragement to be surrounded with so many loved ones. Our events were meaningful and glorifying to the Lord. We had one kid who attended ask his mom to drive back to the little library because he wanted to get the Bible he saw in there. It was a good day, one to remember and to remember Simon by.
Similar to getting through Simon’s birthday, it was the days leading up to the birthday that caused more difficulty than the day of. I need to remember the admonition of Jesus for greater future victories. He said, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Mt 6:34
Praise God for:
-One year of God’s faithfulness.
-His nearness, and attraction to the weak, broken and sorrowful. How He lifts us up from there.
-His Church being built up with all those faithful before us including Simon, and us believers in turn. Also, His Church who mourned with us and provided many gifts to aid us.
-Songs of worship that minister to the emotion of my experience of loss with the hope of the Gospel. So my emotions would be bridled, looking forward to the coming goodness.
Please Pray For:
-Today (7-15) Lindsey and I are going to Glen Eyrie retreat center for quiet time, a time to seek the Lord, to celebrate and reflect on our marriage as we will mark 13 years of marriage on the 17th. For grace and blessing to my brother Will who is taking on our three while we are gone.
-Continued wisdom about the direction to take regarding our basement repairs. Even the restoration companies differ on the remedy.
-The little free library, that it would be a lighthouse to the kids in our community.
-The direction and nearness of the Lord in writing efforts for both Lindsey and I. Renee’s continues journey through grief and in understanding death and new life.
With love,
Nic, Lindsey, Anna, Renee, Victor
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