Hi all, so I'm going to get straight to the point in this blog post! This Christmas is extremely hard for us. We miss Hannah Grace a lot. And we want her legacy to continue this Christmas. So I'd like to request a favour.
That very first Christmas, over 2000 years ago, God gave the ultimate gift in giving us His Son Jesus Christ. He did that for each one of us - so that in Jesus dying on the cross to forgive us of our sins, we could have a relationship with Him. He blessed us with the ultimate gift (of eternal life with Him!), but we are often so selfish and just think about what gifts we want ourselves. So how about following God's lead, and blessing someone else this Christmas?!
If you would have liked to buy Hannah Grace a gift this Christmas, we would love you to still do so. I know, I know, she isn't here to enjoy it. I don't have to be reminded of that. But our idea is that we would love people to buy a gift that Hannah would have enjoyed this Christmas (ie. something suitable for a little baby girl), and donate it to a baby in need. You could donate it to an organisation that gives gifts to children who wouldn't otherwise get any, or you could give it to a family that you know who are struggling this Christmas. This is a tradition that our family is going to continue... every Christmas we are going to buy a gift that Hannah would have enjoyed that year, and donate it for a girl who is the same age as her. We think this will be a fun way for Hannah's younger siblings to remember her and include her in Christmas too :) And we would be honoured if other people would participate in this with us.
The other option we would love people to consider, is buying a Tear Fund Gift for Life - especially the 'Nurture a Newborn' gift. By purchasing this gift, you are providing the essential medical care and education for a birthing mother and their new baby. We received such wonderful medical care for Hannah, but in so many countries this care simply isn't available. How amazing if because of Hannah's legacy, another baby could be given a chance at life; and another family could be spared the horrible pain of losing a child. When you buy this gift you get a card to give to someone which details the gift you have brought them, and the gift itself goes to a needy family in a third world country.
If you are unable to do either of these things, maybe you can at least do something kind for someone in the next week. Be a blessing to someone. Do something to encourage someone. And think of Hannah as you do it. Remember how she was lively, courageous, and encouraging?
Ok, so here is the last part of the favour. If you are able to donate a present or buy a 'gift for life', or do any other act of kindness in memory of Hannah Grace this Christmas, we would love to hear about it. Could you please email me to let me know what you have done? Or maybe you could send or email me a note for Hannah? It would be really special to be able to print these off and put them in her Christmas stocking, so we can read them on Christmas day. We want to include Hannah in our Christmas - and to know her life is continuing to have an impact and help others means so much.
Thanks everyone, we hope to hear some stories from some of you before Christmas!
Rebecca, you have no idea how much this post has touched me. I am definitely going to purchase the Nurture A Newborn TEAR fund gift in Hannah's memory. I will send a card to your address if that is OK?
ReplyDeleteIts perfect honey. We are also doing the same sort of tradition - tomorrow I'm taking the kids to go and pick one thing each they would have wanted to buy Seb, and we're donating them to the Kmart Wishing Tree with love Sebastian Levi Mardon' on them. ITs going to be hard to not have our babies with us, but if we can know we can make someone else's Christmas a bit brighter - and share the ultimate gift we were given by God - JESUS - then that makes it a wee but better, doesn't it. Blessings to you honey. We will pick something for Hannah too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lauren, that would be wonderful! And a card would be an encouragement too... I have messaged you with my address. We can put it in Hannah's Christmas stocking.
ReplyDeleteNat - that's great that you can do that with your kids, it's a special way to remember our babies isn't it. And hank you SO much for buying a Gift for Life 'birthing kit for Indonesia' for Hannah!