Happy 1st Birthday Parke!

Happy birthday to our precious Parke Henry! I know he is celebrating big in Heaven, but I ache to be holding him again and seeing his face on his special day.

We will celebrate him today and remember him everyday. We are SO thankful that he is ours, and I am in awe of how fast a year has flown by.

 

On the day of Parke's memorial service, a sweet friend dropped a framed poem off on my doorstep. It sits right beside my bed now, and I read it regularly. I have always considered all of my children "borrowed from God" because I read that somewhere when Landry was first born. I love considering that when times are tough, kids are acting up, or parenting just gets hard. This poem speaks to that point, and I love how it reminds me that God chose Micah and I specifically to parent Parke for the time he was here. How blessed we are to be his parents!

 

Title Unknown, by Edgar Guest

"I'll lend you for a while a child of mine," He said

For you to love the while he lives and mourn for when he's dead.

It may be six or seven years, or twenty-two or three,

But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and should his stay be brief,

You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief."

 

"I cannot promise he will stay; since all from earth return,

But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn.

I've looked the wide world over in My search for teachers true

And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes I have chosen you.

Now will you give him all your love, not think the labor vain,

Nor hate Me when I come to call to take him back again?"

 

 I fancied that I heard them say, "Dear Lord, Thy will be done!

For all the joy thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we run.

We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may,

And for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay;

But should the angels call for him much sooner than we've planned,

We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand."

 

 

I'm blessed to be your mama....today and everyday Parke Henry.

Happy birthday!