The Hope We Have

Welcome to the first issue of Life's Journey, a unique newsletter for those who are bereaving. Bereavement is a road no one would choose to travel, but we all eventually find ourselves in the bereaving process. Life's Journey exists as a source of hope, encouragement, comfort and education for those experiencing the loss of a loved one.

Romans 8:18

"For I am convinced that the sufferings of this world are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that is to be revealed to us."

Perspective

Knowing the word of God helps us to take every event that happens in the world and turn it into a Heavenly event. Once we begin to see things that happen with a Heavenly perspective we then can begin to see things as God sees them. When this happens, Life and all its events - the good and the ugly - change from just something that happened, to something that was planned. Knowing that every event in our Life is planned and doesn't just Happen can truly change our perspective on LIFE!!!

Fruit of the Spirit . . . LOVE
1 John 3:1
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God …"

The depth of our love for others is reflected in our witness for the Lord. The more we love Him, the more we tell about Him. This is what a child of God loves to do.

It has been reported that the loss of a child puts a great strain on even the strongest of marriages. In fact many experts in the field of bereavement have stated that 75-90% of marriages end in divorce within a five-year period after the loss of a child.

Our relationship with our spouse is secondary to our relationship with God. We must consider the nurturing and care this relationship needs especially when one or both partners are grieving.

Date Time
Make sure you have a weekly date time. Get alone and talk, have fun, and enjoy the marriage relationship. Commitment is one of the most precious gifts we can give to others, especially our spouse. Be committed and enjoy each other.

Summer Time Date Ideas
Find a trail that leads to a scenic vista. Dan and I love trails that lead to waterfalls. On your way to your preferred vista, hold hands, flirt, and laugh with each other. When you reach your destination share a warm embrace. Take a deep breath and cherish this moment together. Give a prayer of thanks to God for his great love to us.

Books To Read

A Grace Distinguished
by Gerald L. Sittser

A personal story of the loss of a wife and daughter and how God's grace was sufficient.

I'll Hold You In Heaven
by Jack Hayford

A "How To" book on grieving the loss of a small child. Gives great insight of what our reunion in heaven will be like.

They say reading is fundamental and this is especially true for those who are grieving. There are so many wonderful books to read on the subject of grief. Whether you read of someone's own personal story of loss and how God brought them through it or a "How To" book on the very subject of grief, the most important thing is that you read!

Of course reading the Word of God is by far the very best book to read, as this is the only book that contains every answer to every problem we will ever face. Make it a rule for your life that you read God's Word first before you read any other book. This will help you to maintain the proper priorities of daily reading. *

* We would be happy to review any book suggestions you would recommend to our readers dealing with the subject of bereavement.

Songs to Seek

The song, Here You Stand, has been a very special song for our family. It seems as though the song was given to us as a sort of preparation for our dear Little Ben's going home.
It is a sweet song of farewell, and of the blessed hope that we meet those whom we are separated from again.

Here You Stand

by Cheri Keaggy, from the album Child of the Father © 1994 Sparrow Song

It's a journey you must travel
Where He leads you He'll help you be strong
He has taught you and now he's brought you
To a place where He wants you to move on
Here you stand at the beginning and not the end
Here you stand and with our blessing we will send you
And though it's hard we will extend a smile
Your time here is over, another day is done
But we know that you've just begun
Here you stand at the beginning and not the end
Here you stand and with our blessing we will send you
And though it's hard we will extend to you a smile
It's a journey you must travel
You know we'll miss you
Don't stay away too long

Benjamin was truly God's gift to our family. He was beautiful, healthy and full of life. It seemed like an eternity waiting for him to arrive in this world and now that he was finally here we couldn't wait to get to know who this wonderful little creature was; and more importantly why God placed him in our little corner of the world.

It seemed so unusual that he would share with us his first real smile at the very young age of just five weeks. After that the smiles just kept coming one after another. What an amazing joy it was to see him begin to experience the joy of life. In sharp contrast to his wonderful smiles he also seemed to carry with him a great sorrow. The tears of sadness that he would cry so very often seemed to have no explanation. It was as though he knew something the rest of us would never have been able to comprehend.

Benjamin went home to be with Jesus very unexpectedly on April 29, 1997. He was taken from this world by a terrible automobile accident. He was our seventh child who would live to be just under seven weeks old. How could we even begin to face a reality without him in our lives any more!

Our family has emotionally survived this separation from our beloved, Benjamin, only by the endless Love that our eternal God and Father gives to us through His precious son Jesus Christ. The personal relationship we have with the Savior has allowed us to not only see this event in our lives as a planned event, but also to see it as an opportunity to grow closer to our God, our loved ones, our friends and others who are suffering in the same way we are.

We have found that grieving is probably the hardest work one may ever have to accomplish in this world. And it's just that . . . it is work. It isn't just something you get through, it is something you must face and deal with. You must learn about why we grieve, how we grieve, when we grieve, where we grieve, and what to grieve about. Once you have grasped an understanding of grief, you then must . . . Grieve! This is a very painful process, but so very essential if one is to embrace the life God has given to those of us who remain here in the world. Some of the "life saving" verses God gave to our family are: II Timothy 2:3, "suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus," (given to me the morning of Ben's funeral), Philippians 4:7, "and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus," and Philippians 4:7-9, specifically verse 8 which says, "finally brethren whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

We will have remembered the anniversary of Ben's graduation from this world into the next, four times this past April. This is amazing to us as we continue to ponder how fast time just keeps ticking away. Even now, however, we can honestly say to all that know us that we have no regrets for any of the plans God has had for our family.

We do miss our dear Benjamin, so very much!!! But the abounding grace God has for us every moment of every day allows us to see Life as a mission. We know we are here to reach out to the world around us and shine the love of God to those who desperately need it. When life is seen as a mission every day becomes filled with wondrous purpose and meaning. This is what gives the bereaved hope to go on.

Our greatest wish for you is that you find this same hope and embrace
Life's Journey once again

Benjamin Michael
Waterman
March 6 - April 29, 1997

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

Please Help Us!

This page is dedicated to the memory of our loved ones. Please write or e-mail the story of your family's loss, and how God has brought you through it. Include a picture (to be kept in our files), date of birth and death, and a symbol that represents your loved one. If you have a special song or poem we would be happy to share it with our readers. With

Ode To Benjamin

Cry a tear for me if you may, but let it be for joy,
For blessed, Benjamin,
Our dear, sweet boy,
Is with Jesus our Savior and Lord.

His days numbered here were few, but his life's purpose
Was complete . . .
To radiate divine mastery to those he knew
And with his very presence make every moment sweet.

He will never be forgotten as we continue the journey of Life,
He would want you to know an escape
From all our sorrows and strife.

Put your trust in Jesus, read God's Word every day.
If he could speak to us now, this I'm sure he'd say.

For this is the key to Heaven's gifts of
Comfort, Peace and Joy.

And the message sent with, Benjamin,
Heavens dear, sweet, little boy.

Cry a tear for me if you may, but let it be for joy,
For blessed, Benjamin, our dear, sweet boy,
Is home with Jesus
Our Savior and Lord.

L.P. Waterman

Your Life's Journey

If you do not have a personal relationship with God, why not change that today? The bible clearly lays out the way to the father. First, admit you are a sinner. If we are sincerely honest from losing our tempers to blaming others for our own problems we all fall short. God's Word says in Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Second, believe God sent his son Jesus, who died, was buried and rose again so that our sin could be forgiven. As it is written in the scripture in Roman's 5:8, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Finally, receive Christ as the Savior of your sin and with that the reassurance of going to heaven when you die. The bible tells us in John 3:16, For God so loved the world that who so ever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Try something amazing; replace the word who so ever in the previous verse with your name. It's a fact, Jesus died for you; invite Him into your life today if you haven't already, and be ready to experience God, like never before in your Life's Journey.

What's Coming!!!

In our next issue of Life's Journey we will have order slips available for bereavement packages you can order for yourself of your loved one. Packages for the loss of a Loved One will include; a framed scripture plaque, bereavement card, bible tracts, a ministry card and information about the ministry. Packages for the loss of a Child will include; a personalized memoriam plaque with the child's photograph and dates, a book on grief recovery, a bereavement card, bible tracts, a ministry card and information about the ministry. These packages will be free of charge, thanks to the provision of our great and mighty God.