A special touch from God

This is a short version of our experience yesterday. My thoughts are still jumbled and my brain feels like jello so bare with me. I hope to be able to write it all out someday so that I will always remember.

Yesterday we said our goodbyes to Elijah's earthly body. It was a day of sorrow but it was a beautiful day as well. I want to cement it in my mind for the rest of my life.

Our family has had various ways we have dealt with death and mourning in our past. Be assured it has always been the American conventional way. It doesn't have to be that way...
As our pastor Ron, Chris and I sat at the funeral home and contemplated how we would view Elijah's body as a family, we came to the conclusion that we should bring him home. Our children didn't even have to think about it, they agreed. So, We brought Elijah to our home in his little white casket. That evening we sat around him and talked about him and prayed together as a family. Even though we knew he was not present with us it was important that he came home.
Wednesday morning we put the casket in the car and drove it to the Church. The service was beautiful. It was a beautiful tribute to Elijah and God his Creator.
Afterwards we had a meal together and were loved on by so many people.
The burial was at a little country cemetery up the road from Peace Lutheran Church. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the little frogs were croaking. We sang and prayed. As we were praying the sun was shining right on my face. I lifted it up and felt the warmth of the sun so sweetly on my face. It was like a special touch from God. We then took the toys from his casket and shut the lid. Alex helped lower the tiny casket into the hole. Ron our pastor asked if we wanted to put the first shovel of dirt on it. Chris put the first few and then me, then our older children. We just stood in silence for awhile. Then many others from our community of loved ones came, one by one they helped bury our baby. I cannot tell you how powerful that was to me. It was a bonding together and the realization that these brothers and sisters were willing to carry our burden with us, even to bury our little boy. This was not planned in our earthly realm, but I know it was orchestrated by our Heavenly Father.