Saturday, May 2, 2009

A big thank you!

I just wanted to write a quick post to say thank you to all of the people who have told me they are going to donate or have already donated their wedding dress to Mary Madeline Project.

You may think it is only my two faithful commentors :) who are interested in donating or have donated, but in fact I have received many emails and have had personal conversations with people who are going to donate their wedding dress!

I'm sure Mary Madeline Project appreciates your generous contribution and I am very touched and thankful for each and every one of you who are considering helping this organization! They surely blessed us with Mary Grace's dress and I am thrilled to hear of so many people wanting to help! Thank you for helping me help them! :)

Switching topics, I have to share a really neat story (well I think it's neat because in hindsight I can see how God was laying out the pieces before He helped me put it together)... While we were awaiting Mary Grace's diagnosis back in February, a friend sent me the link to the story of a beautiful little girl who died from Trisomy 18. I never opened the link. I just couldn't do it at that time. Fast forward to about a week after Mary Grace's death, and Extreme Makeover Home Edition airs on tv. Friends of my mom watched the show and wouldn't you know a mom spoke about her little girl, Mary Grace who survived for 7 hours after birth and then died from Trisomy 18. Now fast forward to about 2 weeks ago and I finally go to "clean up" my email box and found all these Mary Grace emails that I hadn't filed...so I finally opened up that website from back in February...and guess what? The Mary Grace from the website was the same Mary Grace from Extreme Makeover Home Edition! And it took me just over 2 months to put it all together!....Or for God to help me put it together. I felt really blessed to be able to read her story. My heart still breaks every time I go to one of these websites though. It's so hard to read of the pain so many families go through. But on many, as you continue reading you experience not only the heartbreak, but joy, hope, and such great love for these tiny babies.

I don't think I could have appreciated all of those feelings 2 months ago, when we knew our Mary Grace was going to die. Maybe that is why God delayed my "discovery" of this other sweet little Mary Grace. In any case, I feel a special connection to her story, particularly since our babies share the same precious name. And her mom is just so inspirational and filled with God's love. Kim, I hope you don't mind me sharing your little Mary Grace's story: www.marygracesummons.blogspot.com. What a blessing these little babies were and continue to be to our life even if we only held them for but a moment.

Thank you friends for your continued prayers for our family!

3 comments:

Mere said...

Yeah! I'm so glad God finally allowed you to have that connection to Mary Grace Summons. I've been praying for their family for months now and can just picture these 2 precious daughters of the KING resting beside HIM! What sweet friends Mary Grace must have in heaven!

Anonymous said...

I remember when I shared this "find" with Mere and remember telling her that that was probably not the time to share this with you as your own precious Mary Grace's life was so precarious. It appears that she didn't listen to me -- imagine that! ; ) I am glad, though, that God was shielding this from you at the time but later brought it to your awareness. I noticed that Kim had commented on your blog recently, so I knew that you had finally connected with her. Mere and I both watched that episode of Home Makeover and were so delighted to actually see Kim and her girls. I am sure that you have been encouraged by her successful pregnancy and delivery after her Mary Grace's death. On another (but somewhat related as it goes back to that same period of web searching) note, I am delighted to see that many of your friends have decided to donate their wedding dresses to the Mary Madeline Project. What selfless gifts of love to an amazing organization! God has used your willingness to share intimate parts of the journey that you and Mary Grace have taken together to bless so many others. It is through being vulnerable and sharing our pain with others that we are healed. I hope that everyone is able to discover that truth through the beautiful example that you have offered. Many blessings to you and your family, Pam

Hil323 said...

I saw that too!!! I thought it was a coincidence but never mentioned it because the time just didn't seem right. Wish I had too.