Heaven has a New Angel

Today my heart is heavy, but I am thankful. My heart is heavy because the world has lost a special little girl today. Layla Grace earned her wings early this morning and is now playing with all the angels in heaven. A week ago I wrote a little about her and how she has touched my heart. I wake up every morning and look for an update from her mom and say a quick prayer and every night before I go to bed I do the same (and honestly many many times throughout the day). Her story and battle with cancer has affected thousands of people around the world. Many people, including myself, are probably asking WHY? WHY GOD? WHY her, Why this little 2 year old girl…Why do you have to put her through this battle and let her die? I think I now know why….He put her here for a reason and that reason was to teach people. She was two years old and taught more people in her short life than most people do that live to be a 100 years old. She taught me a number of things, one of them is patience. If you have a toddler, you know “patience” is something that is not easy at times. Noah colors on walls, jams DVD’s in our DVD player breaking them in ½ AND the DVD player, poops on the floor (that’s a whole other story I will get into later)….but all these little toddler antics sometimes require patience. Before I heard Layla’s story, I would easily get frustrated with my little toddler when I find him coloring on the wall or doing naughty toddler things. Now my patience helps me enjoy him even when hes being a little Dennis the Menace. Don’t get me wrong, I am teaching him to not do these things, but in a patient way. Here is a little something Shannon, Layla’s mom, wrote that moved me and I’d like to share, “The house is quiet. I am able to go through the motions of laundry, dishes, cooking and picking up without interruptions. But I WANT interruptions. I WANT Layla to be under my feet asking for cookies. I WANT to hear her playing with her toys. I WANT to take 45 minutes to unload the dishwasher because she keeps trying to help. For every time I uttered the words “I just can’t get anything done with these kids under my feet all day” I am eternally regretful.” Layla has taught me to not regret any moment I have with Noah.

Another thing she’s taught me is to have stronger faith, faith in God and his decisions. Unfortunately you don’t always know why he is doing certain things, but you have to have faith that God is GOOD and HE IS!

Prayer…Layla has really restored my prayer time with the Lord. I try to pray daily, but as we all know sometimes there is not enough hours in the day to do everything and prayer was one of the things that would get forgotten in all the commotion. I have been praying a lot recently, for Layla and all the people that are battling this horrible disease….and thanking him for my blessings.

So, yes my heart is heavy, but I’m thankful that Sweet Layla isn’t in pain. She isn’t suffering, she is walking with the Lord and playing with all the sweet angels that have gone before her. The bells of Heaven are ringing and rejoicing that she has arrived. Shannon wrote, “I take comfort in the fact that when she returns home, she will be greeted by the Lord and hear “Well done good and faithful servant”. She will instantly be renewed and have a perfect heavenly body. There will be no more tears, no more pain and no more sorrow. She will see glorious things we can’t even begin to dream of.” Revelation 21:18-21 says The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.d 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. I truly believe this! She is in a place that our minds can’t even fathom. Her job on earth was to reach thousands of people and give them faith, patience, prayer...and she did just that. If you followed her battle, ask yourself what did she teach you?

I am also thankful for my precious Noah and that I get to hug and cover him with kisses every day.

My prayers are now for her family, Shannon, Ryan and her adorable sisters. I can’t imagine the pain they are now in, losing such a sweet little girl. I hope God now gives them peace and comfort.

Layla I will never forget what you have taught me. Rest in Peace Sweet Angel.