Jenna Story Continues

Jenna is currently with God in Heaven awaiting Jesus’ return to earth for the rest of the Christians. She has a physical body, in a physical place, walking around, with a mind that is thinking and asking questions. She is basically on a trip awaiting us to arrive or for Jesus to step out and bring everyone home. All these truths can be found in the Word of God and are so comforting. We only buried the vessel that will return to dust until Christ return; not Jenna. Jenna fell asleep and her spirit awoke in Heaven. The vessel left behind indicated an end to her earthly existence and a beginning to her heavenly one. Jenna is enjoying herself and being loved more than we can love her. There is much comfort knowing her current state.

No Prisons

Becky and I thought it imperative we describe where Jenna is and how God has given us peace throughout this painful journey. Not only peace and hope but peace such that the world cannot understand (us included). Peace that sustains us as we continue moving through this journey all the while giving God the glory. The devil desires that our little girls earthly death become a prison. If we become shackled to Jenna’s death never to live or glorify God again. It will ensure no one around us gets to see the glory of God through our situation. These shackles would also prevent people from looking at Jenna’s journey and finding hope amid their hopelessness. Little does the devil know our God doesn’t work that way.

There isn’t a chance God will not get glory or that Becky and I will forget where Jenna is and how she is experiencing the ultimate life. Our family will continue to glorify God imprisonment by satan and his lies is not an option. We will roam free in God’s hands letting people know there is hope, happiness, and freedom on the other side of heartache, confusion, and ultimate tribulations. It is not for us to chain God’s grace with our fleshly hurt but to exhibit His grace to the world through our hurt. The devil will not win this battle although it will continue to rage, and we will continue fighting. The pain is real, but so is the peace and grace and we must continue to look to God in everything.

The Midnight Hour

This whole journey started at the midnight hour:

²⁵ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.²⁶ And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.²⁷ And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.²⁸ But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.²⁹ Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,³⁰ And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?³¹ And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.³² And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.³³ And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.³⁴ And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Acts 16:25-34

We signed consent for emergency radiation at midnight. This night haunts me somewhat as being the most difficult. The thought of Paul and Silas singing in the prison cell with their chains broken came to mind. God was ever present with them and everyone stayed put enjoying God’s comfort. God also comforted us throughout this trial. As they slowly closed the large, imposing door behind us and we left Jenna alone in the radiation room. Her pain was indescribable and for 45 minutes we could hear her across the two-way radio calling Daddy. My understanding of prayer and faith is now deeper after the midnight hour. There wasn’t any way we could get to her and give the treatment required.

The Deeper Things

That night as Jenna called out to me I began to pray for the presence of God and not like I have ever prayed before but to another level. We needed comfort for my little girl and we needed to leave it all on the altar before God. The altar being an office floor as I kneeled at a chair. Focusing on the physical sounds and feelings around us enabled us to push God’s presence to the back. Even though that is what I was praying about. As the journey continued we would see grace at every turn as God was ever present in our prison of cancer. He had answered my prayer I was just currently blind to the fact. Although, Jenna knew this and could feel His arms around her even in the pain as she would tell us throughout her journey. Jenna’s body although broken continued to become more Christ-like through her testimony. Jenna longed to be in Heaven and continually lets us know to comfort us.

The Desires & Directness

With Jenna’s help, Becky and I refuse to be prisoners, Jenna didn’t want that, and we heard loud and clear. She desires us to live openly as Christians and to come home at our appointed time. Not holding Jenna brings tears to my eyes but the hope of reuniting is comforting. We may be able to pull some from the pits of hell with Jenna’s story of hope and heavenly places along the way. As we walk together we are reminded of a time Jenna was maybe 3 years old. Our  family was at the beach and Jenna walked out to the sand looked at the water and said, “Mama I think I will wait in the car.” Yesterday it dawned on us that she was very direct in what she wanted and now she is in Heaven and as much as we wanted her to stay with us she ultimately said, “Mama I think I will wait in Heaven.”

Beyond The Updates

Going forward we will continue to write as God gives leading but the story will focus more on Becky and me as we learn to deal with the new normal and less on Jenna as her story is now being written in Heaven. God Bless everyone and we thank you for taking care of us in our time of need. Your kindness gives God glory.

“Beyond The Updates” will be the new post name for following our story.

Sharing is caring!