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It's late and I should be asleep. I have a"big" day ahead of me tomorrow. But I can't sleep. Jonathan's funeral is tomorrow. Jonathan was a student at my school who was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year. He passed away in his sleep early this past Saturday morning. I've been sick all weekend and so today is the first time I've really allowed myself to think about Jonathan and his family. The only thing I can say is that I am deeply saddened. My heart breaks for his mom and dad and younger sister. I'm sad that his friends have to experience the pain of such loss at such a young age. I'm just sad!

Since I couldn't sleep, I thought I would check my email. I hope the original author doesn't mind me posting this but it was very encouraging to my heart.

“CHfJ” has been on the board in my cubicle for the past few months, in bright lime green – Complete Healing for Jonathan. It was a reminder to pray for Jonathan every time I saw it.

I just erased these letters a few minutes ago. But not in defeat – no, they were erased because God has answered our prayers. Now I must confess that I had planned for God to heal Jonathan here – to make him well and allow him to grow up and be with his family. The way God actually answered my prayer had not crossed my mind until my Saturday morning walk. Jonathan is completely healed now. I know this to be a fact; with every fiber of my being I know this.

There is nothing that man can say that makes any difference or that really matters; whatever we think of to say sounds trite and ineffective. Not so with God.

Jesus says in Matthew 28:20 “I am with you always.”

I recently read this quote: “Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.”

We know that Jonathan is healed and with Jesus the Christ. But our hearts are breaking for our friends, for their loss, for what we will miss. Praise God that we have His presence - we have true hope. We are never alone.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)

Terry shared with me Saturday evening that Jill and Jonathan had a little game they played where she would ask him “Who do you love the most - daddy or mommy?” Of course, when she asked this the expected answer was “Mommy.” A while ago she was playing the game and asked Jonathan who he loved the most – Jonathan answered, without hesitation “Jesus.”