Saying goodbye to Ella

Yesterday, before Ella went under cremation, I wanted to minister to her brother and sisters. They are so young, and to undergo what they had to go through, I cannot begin to understand their pain and their struggles. So, after some prayer and reflection, I shared with them that our naked eyes and our eyes of faith see things differently.

Our naked eyes tell us that Ella is dead, and therefore, leads our hearts to hurt because of the sadness we feel. But our eyes of faith instructs us differently. It sees beyond our bodies, it sees our souls. While her body was laid in her casket motionless, the Bible teaches us that even though we die, in Christ we live. If we are in Christ, then when we die, we truly live forevermore.

So, while our naked eyes want to nail her motionless to the ground or to the fire in ashes, the eyes of faith shouts at us louder and bolder, telling us that this beautiful baby is able to stretch her arms, kick her legs, breathe that fresh and magnificent air of heaven effortlessly. While we never heard her sing or saw her dance, we can only imagine how well she would do them, as she is more free than the birds to fly and sing more beautifully than any choirs can sing.

Dear God, thank You for sending Ella to us. Thank You for teaching us through her that each day is precious, a gift from You, never to be taken for granted. Thank You for showing to us that each day was truly meant to be a miracle for us. Thank You for showing Yourself more caring, more powerful, and more real than any person or caretaker in this world. And most of all, thank You for instructing us that all of us will also be called one day to enter into Your kingdom.

Lord, when You call us home, may we also be ready to enter like Ella was.