Anthony

Today, we celebrated the 3rd birthday of Anthony Eugene Whitaker! ❤

...And two weeks from today, we will mourn the two-year anniversary of the day he passed away.

There are no words to adequately express all that I feel when I think about Anthony, his parents, his life here on earth, and his new life in heaven. 

He endured multiple surgeries and more physical pain than any precious, helpless baby should ever have to face... yet he fought through it and survived time and time again. In spite of his pain and fatigue, he was bright-eyed and expressive!  He had a wonderful smile and laugh, and he shared his joy and inner strength with so many people!

A mini-collage of Kristin and Anthony... precious.

These are two collages I made a while back - so many memories.

He was so very loved and cherished, and he loved his mom and dad!

(Praying together before the balloon release for Anthony.)

Today, he is alive, well, happy, and whole in heaven with Jesus, full of love for his family!!

I'm not really sure how it all works in heaven... whether he will be grown up or be a child until his parents get there and can raise him and watch him grow up together... either way, I'm sure that he will know and recognize and love them, and the reunion will be epic!  I believe our loved ones in heaven are part of the "great cloud of witnesses" Paul writes about, and I can't help but think Anthony is grateful to see how his parents have found strength in Christ and leaned on each other through this loss! ❤

We know that he is healed and free from all suffering. And I believe he can see and understand a lot of the good stuff here... things like this:

It's certainly comforting to know he is in God's care where pain cannot touch him, to know he will live forever and never face death again! But it doesn't fix or change the hard reality that Kristin and Frankie face here, the empty ache and persistent grief they deal with on a daily basis over the loss of their firstborn son. So please pray for them, especially during this emotionally-charged season!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Baby Anthony!  You have strength of spirit and courage and heart, just like your parents!  You are loved and deeply missed, but we will see you again someday...

"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed

into bodies that never die, the Scripture will be fulfilled:

'Death is swallowed up in victory.'"

~I Corinthians 15:54