August 28, 2000 #2

Dear Family,

It is a beautiful morning in Heaven, now Home to a little
boy whom I love very much. Last night as I lay beside
Skylar for a while, I was able to tell him again of my
love.

"Skylar, you are my special treasure, you are heart of my
heart. My soul is bound up together with your soul. So,
when you go home to heaven, a part of me will get to go
home too." It is a beautiful morning in Heaven, because
there is a new treasure there, and so my heart is there
also.

The other evening, after having received a phone call from
a little girl who used to play with Skylar at the hospital
in Stanford, Suzanne said to Skylar "Guess who called?"

Without any hesitation, Skylar asked "Daddy?" He wanted so
much to see and hear from his father. Often, when he was
afraid or in pain, he would call out "Daddy!" even though
Daddy was not anywhere in sight.

Suzanne called this morning to tell us that she had talked
to Jeff. Jeff saw his counsellor this morning and arranged
a special phone call. We had told Jeff yesterday how close
we thought it was to the end, and so when he called, Jeff
asked Suzanne to hold the phone up to Skylar's ear. Of course,
Suzanne had to let him know that Skylar was already gone.

There are times when we call out for our Daddy, our heavenly
Father, and He seems not to be anywhere in sight. Although
we know He is present, that He has promised never to leave us
or forsake us, often it doesn't seem that way.

It has been the experience of God's people, throughout history,
that at times God seems remotely distant. Paul quoted from the
Psalms, "For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long.
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Jesus, God's own
Son, cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

In our human pain and limited understanding, God seems distant;
and so we must trust His word, we must trust His promises, we
must move forward in sure confidence in the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, Who (as Jesus assured us) is the GOD OF THE
LIVING, not the God of the dead. HE is Skylar's God.

The Lord answered one of Nana's heartfelt prayers. Tomorrow
would have been Skylar's 6th birthday. Nana asked the Lord
that Skylar not die on his birthday, because it just didn't
seem right to her. The Lord granted her request. Thank You,
Lord, for your lovingkindness to my wife.

"Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts
before Him. God is a refuge for us." - Psalm 62

-Dann (for Pam and Chris as well)