I went to the most beautiful celebration of life today. A celebration of a life lived far to short. My friend Hillary had to say goodbye to her firstborn baby girl, Harley Jane, this afternoon.
As I drove down the dusty roads of the blue Goose Ranch thinking of my friend whose heart was aching, I could hardly see through the tears and the dust. That question that I've asked far too many times over the past 3 years kept coming to my lips, "Lord why does it have to be this way? Why does there have to be such suffering?" I had to keep reminding myself, you KNOW He makes beautiful things out of this dust. You've seen Him do it over and over again. And I KNOW that he will do it again, He WILL create beauty from the ashes of these broken hearts. But I know it still hurts. It hurts so bad, that ache of empty arms.... and I'm so sad that my friend has to feel that hurt.
Harley Jane Pitts
Down a dusty road and up on Harley's Hill,
Surrounded by Hay bales that were covered in quilts.
Loved ones gathered in numbers so large,
it inspired to see that she touched all their hearts.
Such Joy she brought in so little time, yet
Tears stung the eyes of those who gathered to sit.
She had a chin like her Father and the nose of her Mother,
she's the seventh generation of a heritage like no other.
She saw none of this world with her beautiful eyes,
instead they only know beauty and glory and light.
Sweet words were spoken of a beautiful daughter
while her Momma wept and leaned on her Father.
This child, so small we won't get to know
or learn all about her as we watch her grow.
A casket too beautiful to be covered by earth,
her soul was with Jesus before she'd even been birthed.
The flowers were perfect, the place so serene,
to be saying goodbye is so wrong it seems.
But everyone did it with tears in their eyes,
shaking their heads and wondering why.
This precious baby girl did not cry a day,
we don't understand so we bow and we pray.
We thank you Jesus for this life so sweet,
and look forward to the day we bow at your feet.
With Harley Jane in your arms and no more pain in our hearts.
Psalm 123:7
"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him."
Thank you Lord for the beautiful gift of Harley Jane's life and the way she has touched the hearts of so many. Please comfort her family and bring them peace and rest from the exhausting grief.
