Saturday, March 14, 2009

Sullivan Family Update

I received this email about a week ago and time and things got the better of me and I forgot to post it on here. I wanted to be sure and get it posted because I think it's important for those of you who followed this story with me and the Sullivan familiy to know how they are doing this far and what God is still doing in their lives. They are such an awesome family and have such a strong faith in God and I love hearing what they have to say! For those of you who are just tuning in and don't know the history of Hannah and her family, you can check in the archives in Jan and feb and read up on their journey of this past year. God is good, ALL THE TIME!

Wow...what an amazing outpouring of cards, gifts, emails, etc., we've
> received from all of you over the last week! It has been such a comfort to
> hear how loved Hannah was, and to know how much God allowed her to influence
> others over her seventeen years. Hannah's story has been shared again and
> again over the last several days, and we are still amazed at how many people
> have been affected by it. We can only stand in awe of how God has worked
> through her life and how His work is continuing after her death.
>
> Bethany is attending a Disciple Now event this weekend at our church, so
> Brad and I have had a lot of time to ourselves. It's been good for us to
> have the opportunity to remember and reflect...although it's been very quiet
> around here! Bethany is such a bright ray of sunshine in our home. She was
> nervous about her return to school on Friday, but her teachers and friends
> surrounded her with love, and she did fine. She was really excited about
> D-Now this weekend, and I think the timing was perfect.
>
> We are definitely missing Hannah here at home. Some things are so
> different...it's so strange not to have her clothes in the laundry; I'm no
> longer buying her favorite snacks at the store; she's not here to
> watch American Idol with us...we no longer see her smile or hear her laugh.
> *But*, we have the confidence of knowing that she's experiencing things we
> can only imagine in Heaven right now, and she is *not* experiencing so many
> of the painful things of earth. That is where our comfort comes from.
>
> When we were at the hospice center, we knew that without God's miraculous
> intervention, Hannah would be going home soon. We frequently discussed what
> her actual passing might be like...imagining it as peaceful and
> beautiful...maybe even with a smile on her face as she got a peek into
> Heaven. But, this was not the case. Hannah's last hour on this earth was
> not peaceful or beautiful...although I must quickly say that Hannah was not
> conscious of anything for the last several hours--she did not suffer in the
> least...but it was very difficult for us. When we got home later that
> evening and went to bed, for the first time since Hannah got sick I (Jill)
> found myself angry at God. I really could not believe that after all Hannah
> had been through, He did not give her what I felt was a peaceful homegoing.
> After several hours of complaining to God (into the early hours of the
> morning) He very quietly reminded me..........*"My Son did not have an
> peaceful, beautiful death either".........*and there was nothing else I
> could say. All my arguments/complaints were silenced, and His peace
> returned. He is so good, all the time.
>
> In a conversation we had with Hannah a few days prior to her death, we
> promised her as a family that we would continue to tell her story in order
> to bring Him glory. Over the next several weeks and months, we have a
> desire to do just that. We are open to opportunities to share her story as
> the Lord provides them. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we
> continue into the next part of our journey.
>
> Brad and Jill
>
> *"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned
> with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God
> He might taste death for everyone." Hebrews 2:9*

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