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Cradle In The Hammock

What a dying mother said to her little girl on a Sunday afternoon
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The Christian blogger Kara Tippetts, as you may know, is in the final stage of cancer. Yesterday, she lay down in a hammock some friends gave her. Then her little girl named Story joined her. Kara picks up the story here:

And today, this beautiful day I took my book, pillow, and sweet new afghan made with love and prayers by our Hannah- and headed out back. Soon I was met by my littlest love. She came and hunkered close and rested next to me. She always comments on my warmth. She says her favorite place is beside my warmth. When we both woke from our brief rest we started to talk about heaven. I’m not exactly sure where the conversation started, but we started to imagine the place of no more tears. I told her I was going there. She told me she would meet me there. I told her that time would feel long, but that it really wasn’t. It was a tender moment. A quiet moment. One I will not forget. The hammock became this sweet cocoon of tenderness and wonder. When the conversation ended I prayed it would always stay with Story. I prayed she would always remember dreaming of our next home together. So I write these words, I share this picture in the hopes that one day- she will return here and the memory will come to life for the health and love of her heart.  Lately I have been ending these precious moments with my children with one simple phrase- “do you know you are a child cherished? Do you know I treasure you, and God delights in you?” And some smile a knowing smile, some answer, but they always listen to these words. Because I will say them to my dying day- we can never hear enough about love. Never. Oh- what a beautiful and high calling we have as parents to treasure the hearts of our children.

Read the whole thing. 

It is impossible to overstate the value of the gift that this dying mother is giving to her children. Impossible. If, God forbid, I ever find myself walking the same hard road Kara is walking, I hope and pray that I will have the courage to give my children the gift she is giving them. The light there is so strong it almost hurts to watch. But it will light the path forward for those children for all of their days.

Pass this story on. You know someone who needs to hear today what Kara has to say. Keep track of Kara’s daily journey on her blog, Mundane Faithfulness. Kara’s book, The Hardest Peace, will be published on October 1. You are going to want to read this book. Trust me on this.

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