Six Months Later

Six months ago, Lydia Grace Focosi entered the world but had to quickly say goodbye. As most of you know, Lydia's parents, Mike and Amy Focosi, are friends of ours. Lindsay and I had the opportunity to bless their family by singing a few songs at Lydia's memorial service. Today Mike and Amy have posted a video of the songs, and I thought that I would share it with our readers as well. It is our hope that God will continue to ease the pain for the entire Focosi family and that they can truly say "it is well with their soul" as the song says.

**From Lindsay:**
My Uncle Dan died just three days after Lydia.  Two days later, amidst a sea of grieving people, I found myself singing words like "When sorrows like sea billows roll, it is well with  my soul" and "You give the healing and grace our hearts always hunger for."  In one of my deepest times of grief, I could only sing those words in faith. 

At that time, all was not well with my soul.  I wanted my Uncle Dan back in my life for just five minutes, so I could let him play with Ruby just a little bit more, and I could tell him, truly, how much he meant to me.  I wanted Lydia to be healthy, alive, and snuggled comfortably in her mother's arms.  I did NOT want them in heaven.  That is the very last place I wanted them to be.  Sorrows were certainly rolling like the billowing waves of the sea, but my soul was not at rest.  My heart was hungering for healing in a way it had not hungered before and has not hungered since.

I sang those words believing that, in fact, I served a God who had nailed my sins to a cross.  A God who was powerful enough to wipe my slate clean, so that I bared them no more.  A God who knew what He was doing, even though things seemed very much out of control from my point of view.  When I sang, "Praise the Lord, o my soul", it was a command to my soul.  I had to tell myself, "Praise Him now.  He is worthy."  

Six months later, I can testify that the God who gives and takes away is the God who is, who was, and who will always be.  He is the God who gives the healing and grace that I have always hungered for.  He is the God who is healing me each day.  He is the God who has good plans for my future and for the Focosi Family's future.  He is the God who is in control.

He is the God who loves you more than you could ever imagine.  He is the God who is waiting to nail your sins to a cross, so you don't have to bear them anymore.  He is the God who is waiting to give you the healing and grace that you are hungering for.  He is the God who will stop at nothing short of giving his very own son, so that you can have a relationship with him.  He loves you.  He wants you.  If you haven't met him yet, please e-mail me.  I would love to introduce you.