A beautiful tribute for Carter, written by one of my best friends
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
Psalm 127:3
The first time I watched a peer suffer from infant loss is something I will never forget. Though she had not even been pregnant long enough to find out her child’s gender, she said any amount of time God allows us to care for one of His children is a gift. He loves them more than we do, and He knows the number of their days. When Haley was 9 months pregnant with Carter, God spared their lives when a shooting happened at the mall while she was on her lunch break. The remainder of her pregnancy continued to be healthy, and a few days before his due date, Jason and Haley joyfully welcomed Carter into the world. Carter’s middle name is Matthew, which means gift from God. The time on earth that we were given with Carter really was a gift from God. I was so blessed to spend Christmas with sweet baby Carter, and I will cherish that memory for the rest of my life. But whether we loved him in person or by our prayers from afar, we are forever changed by his short time on earth. Though he was so loved, Carter’s short life was filled with physical suffering. My prayer for Carter was that God would fully heal him, so he could tell many people about the God who healed him. I did not realize that God would answer my prayer by bringing him home to heaven, where he is now with Jesus – fully healed, better off than any of us. We will miss him and remember him for the rest of our time on earth. But if Carter could speak to us today, I am sure he would tell us about the God who made him, loves him, and made a way for all of us to join him one day in heaven.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
In their grief, Haley and Jason are comforted by their faith that they will one day spend eternity in heaven with Jesus and their firstborn son. God knows the number of our days, but we do not. Are you confident if you die today, that you will be in heaven with Jesus? Today is the day to accept His free gift of eternity with Him, so like Carter Matthew Hodges, you will be with Jesus for eternity, no more pain, no more tears.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.‘”
Revelation 21:3-4