“This is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life. I am not very comfortable speaking in front of people, and doing so at my son’s funeral only makes this more difficult. So, if it’s alright with you I am going to read this instead of just trying to “wing it” up here. I am more comfortable writing, because I have yet to find the backspace or delete button on my mouth. I thought today, that I would tell Elijah’s story to you since some of you may have only heard part of it, or have not heard it from my perspective. It’s a simple story. One of God’s grace and His divine will. I hope you will see God’s fingerprints on it as Paige and I have for the past two years. But, before we get into his story I would like to share a piece of scripture with you.

            1 Kings 19:11-13

¹¹ Then He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”

    At that moment, the LORD passed by.  A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard [it], he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

            This is the story that first made me fall in love with the name Elijah. Now, Elijah was not my first choice for a name. I originally wanted Cletus or Loomis, but Paige in her wisdom put her foot down. So, when we found out that we were having a boy we already knew his name. As his soon to be father I dreamed the dream that all dads with sons dream about. He’s going to play football, drive a racecar, and do all the things that he wants to do. He’s going to be someone special, and have an impact on the world. Little did I know at that time just how much of an impact he would have. When I see the people here it amazes me how much a two year old child can affect people’s lives. I would have never thought that his situation would inspire people to draw closer to God, but if only one person is closer today because of Elijah then everything that has happened is worth it. So, here is his story.

            Elijah was born 9:30 am on November 6, 2006 just before 25 weeks gestation. To give you a little perspective on that, his due date was February 14^th, 2007. To complicate matters, he was born very suddenly at home with no one there except for Paige and Maddie Grace. It was a full 20 minutes before the sheriffs deputies and Brother Larry and Beth Yates from the church could get there. During this time Paige held him, talked to him, and reassured him that everything was going to be alright. As amazing as it sounds, one of the deputies, Jason Chambers, has a wife who is an OB nurse. While on the way to our house he was getting information from her that helped save Elijah’s life. Even during that first few minutes of his life God was at work making sure that the people who needed to be there were there. After another few minutes the paramedics arrived, and realized very quickly that the Air Evac helicopter needed to be called if we were going to have any chance of saving Elijah. So, the helicopter was called, and within a few minutes they landed in our pasture. What I didn’t know at that time is that the helicopter was already in the air when they received the call to come get Elijah. They had been up to Tennessee to get a part that was needed, and when the call came they were only minutes from our house. When they took off with Elijah I broke down. I had given up already, and thought that my son with my dreams for him were dead. In that moment God used dear friends to surround and comfort us. He had already been at work that day with the helicopter, the sheriffs, and one can argue that during that 20 minute time when he was not breathing that the Lord gave him breath. I was looking for God in the earthquake, the wind, or the fire, but He was not there.

            Once at the hospital Elijah was stabilized, but we were not given much hope. The doctors said that they would do what they could, but they cautioned us that this was an extremely slippery slope that he was on. Over the next couple of weeks his condition worsened, and after three weeks in this world it appeared that we wouldn’t have him much longer. By the night of November 27^th I had given up on him again. When Paige, Bro. Andrew, and I left the hospital that night we all thought that he wouldn’t live until morning although we didn’t say that to each other. I expected a call in the night, but it never came. Instead, God used a nurse practitioner at Children’s hospital. After hearing of Elijah’s situation from Paige’s sister, she called the hospital to let them know that they were coming for Elijah. Once Children’s had him he started to improve in only minutes. He started acting more like a baby, and they were able to take him off all of the medicines that the other hospital had him on. It was almost like something miraculous had happened in that ambulance ride from Montgomery to Birmingham. At that moment of happiness I felt shame. I had given up on my son twice. I had given up on God’s ability to save him, but it would not happen again. I made an oath to God on that day that I would praise Him for Elijah no matter what. Elijah belonged to Him, not me, and I would trust Him to do what was best for my son….for His son. With a plan finally in place, Elijah started to improve daily and on March 7^th he finally came home.

            At home, Elijah continued to grow, and he started doing more and more although at a much slower pace than other babies his same age. After several more months, doctors told us what we already knew. Elijah was blind, he had developmental problems, and he would be very fortunate to ever be able to do the everyday things we take for granted. We didn’t give up, our church family didn’t give up, and most importantly his Daddy didn’t give up. It was amazing to see how people rallied around him, and how many people loved him. He was touching lives in a way that I never thought possible. This time in his life was wonderful. He was getting better and better, but at his on pace. In time he knew the difference between all of us in the family, and would respond to each one of us different. Anytime I would come home I would lean down in his face and ask him, “Do you know who this is?” He always responded by kicking his legs, and yelling, “Da Da Da Da.” If I didn’t pick him up he would throw a fit. Likewise, he and Maddie had a special bond. He would smile and laugh for her when he wouldn’t for anyone else. He loved his Sis Sis, and she loves him. But, if Paige was around, the gig was up. It was like he could feel her when she came around him. It didn’t matter what was going on, who had him, or what you tried to do. He was getting to his Momma. It is these times that I will try and remember most. The blessed time. The happy time. It was in this time we noticed that he would try and look at you when you got close to him. He would look at bright lights, and follow them with his eyes. Was he starting to see? Was this possible? This past September we found out that yes, it was possible. After a visit to the eye doctor he informed us that Elijah would have no worse than 20/800 vision by the age of 6 when his eyes were fully developed. It could be better, but we would just have to wait and see. In that same month he started to have problems with his shunt, and other problems that eventually have led us up to today. At first, doctors thought that his shunt had just gone bad, but after more tests they realized that it was a much bigger problem that involved his liver and other internal organs. So, after a month and a half of surgerys, needle sticks, and tests in the hospital Elijah came home for the final time November 10^th. We knew we didn’t have long with him, but we also knew that he had someone already waiting on him in heaven. For those of you who don’t know, Paige’s mother, Elijah’s Maw Maw, Donna Bailey went to be with the Lord on the seventh of this month. I have thought about that scene in my mind these past few weeks. The moment when Elijah sees Jesus, and Jesus gets taken out by Donna so that she can get to her baby. That always makes me smile. Not Donna treating Jesus like a linebacker treats a quarterback, but the fact that Elijah is perfect now. There is no more struggle, there is no more pain. He is happier than ever, and safe in the arms of his Daddy.

            I have asked Randy Godfrey to sing a song for us today. It ordinarily would not fit this situation, but if you think of it as a message from Elijah to us, then it will. Listen to the words, and see if you can hear the gentle whisper.

++ I do not have a copy of what I said after this to the church family, and to Paige. That was something that I hadn’t written down. I wanted it to be unrecited, and straight from my heart. I couldn’t begin to tell you what it was, because I was so nervous just being up there. Anyway, I want to thank all of you for praying for us. Please continue to pray as we look to Jesus during this difficult time. I would imagine that the next few weeks and months will be just as difficult as we adjust to Elijah not being here. I love my son, and that is something that you can’t bury with him.”

Thanks,

Lauren

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Ezra 8:23So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer. and

Psalm 17:6
I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.

so please pray…

WOW. I look around and all i see are things about the failing economy and presidential race… When are we going to realize that the change in this country is going to start with us. Americans have fallen so far away from who we are supposed to be in Christ. God has blessed this country in so many ways. He has made us victorious in war and economically, but if we don’t stay within his will, those blessings aren’t going to last forever. The founding fathers of this country were Godly men that established a God centered government, through the constitution. Unfortunately the constitution is slowly being changed and corrupted. Our freedoms are being taken away and we are just sitting by and watching. Our rights as Americans are deteriorating. The Government is changing the ordinances made by God for marraige, and the sanctity of life. Gay marraige has become legal in many states and abortion is considered a “woman’s right”. What would our founding fathers say if they saw the state our country is in now?? Most of all, what is God saying?? I think its obvious that God isn’t going to tolorate this. It is shown in our economy, and even Sept. 11. God wants us to come back to him, and he wants to bless us. But, he isn’t going to keep blessing us, if we aren’t going to live for him. We are like the Isrealites, God blessed them and protected them, but he didn’t keep on blessing them when they weren’t willing to follow him. Also, If a father knew his child was doing something wrong he would punish that child so that they would learn what is right and wrong. God is a loving father and he is forgiving, but he isn’t stupid and he knows when to pull away and let us learn from mistakes. The change in America satrts with you as an individual.  The question is … Is your life right with God??