Moving On
It seems like everything we have done since Aria died is somewhat of a mission. Every new thing we take on, each step we take back towards ‘normality’ seems like a step further away from the life we had with Aria.
Moving into a permanent house = hard.
Starting back at work = hard.
Getting going on resuming my studies = hard.
The latest challenge, going back to preaching = hard.
While I am really looking forward to preaching again after a couple of years of not being able to, it is another step towards our new life.
I know that God has this life prepared for us, and that all we have been through with Aria is now part of us and will be used by God, but it is hard not to have Aria with us anymore. We want to honour her memory and cherish the part she has in our lives but it is hard to find the best way to do that and to carry her with us in a positive way.
Until such time as we find that way, we will keep on moving on the best we can, trusting God to make the path forward clear.
25 Responses to “Moving On”
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# 8 Nov at 2:34 am
Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I especially pray for strength for you all!
# 8 Nov at 4:11 am
That’s very very sad, it will continue to be very difficult for you all, for a very long time…….hopefully you will get a rest from the pain and hurt you have all suffered with some gentle distractions. I don’t even know you but feel like I do, I feel your pain as well….tears came to my eyes reading your blog…….Great to hear again from you on here. Keep thinking you will forget us out here, but I feel like I am on your journey with you…..and look forward to receiving your emails in the future.
# 8 Nov at 4:11 am
Thinking of you all here too.
# 8 Nov at 4:12 am
You are all still constantly thinking of and praying for you. Aria will never be forgotten but we trust that the pain eases up. God bless xx
# 8 Nov at 4:14 am
And please please please don’t be hard on yourselves. It is going to take LOTS of time and ups and downs- but eventually it will become less raw- because God loves you and has you right there in His loving hands. Bless you heaps
# 8 Nov at 4:33 am
We mourn with you, as does Jesus.
Someday, in a way we can not understand, he will wipe away all of our tears.
# 8 Nov at 7:28 am
Dear Anita, Hamish and Asher,
How good to hear from you again.
It is early days yet, you will have two steps forward and one back for some time to come. We have those times and we have not been through anything as near as traumatic as you have been through.
Aria is still with you, and waiting to be used wherever God puts you and wants her story to be told, to comfort, inspire,and encourage. You have now been there, most of us have not, and you have that experience to help others. Nothing is wasted with God, what we see as a stumbling block, God sees as a stepping stone.
I pray for God’s peace to be all around you.
With love ……. God bless you, comfort you, and be near you at all times.
Eve
# 8 Nov at 7:49 am
During Aria’s life you had the unique opportunity to minister to families who were going through a similar ordeal. Now you still have an opportunity to minister to families who have lost children. This can only bring honor to Aria. I know this may be too soon to even consider this but I wanted to remind you that God can work all things together for good. Trust in this! I love you guys and will forever have you in my prayers!
# 8 Nov at 10:15 am
Again, thank you for sharing your life so openly. You, your family and Aria are not forgotten.
# 8 Nov at 10:24 am
I can’t even begin to pretend, to know what you are feeling, but know that you & your family are in my prayers! May God give you strength, courage, and the words to say as you start preaching again. God Bless!
# 8 Nov at 11:24 am
I was just thinking about you all yesterday when I was doing a bit of weed pulling,thrilled to get an email when I turned on the computor this am.You are really having major changes but YOU WILL get through this and become super troupers for our God.you know you can do all things through Jesus.your beautifull little boy will keep you strong, and Aria’s beautifull spirit will watch over mummy an daddy,blessings ,chrissy 🙂
# 8 Nov at 12:25 pm
Hi Lovely to hear your thoughts. The first of everything since Arias passing are the hardest. But she would be so proud of you all. For me what helped was to understand the event is so life changing your point of reference has changed, which is okay, I too felt like it was a betrayal of my 2 children but in fact it was just accepting the new reality and it somehow helped me to feel it was and is okay. Love to you all
# 8 Nov at 12:49 pm
my prayers are with you all
# 8 Nov at 1:06 pm
How pleased was to see your post in my In Box. Thank you! Yes, everything is hard but like one of the comments above, I would like to think that there would be some gentle distractions for you some time. Hopefully sometime we might get some summer weather (I live in Palmerston North and it’s not so good right at the moment) so you just might have had some good weather as I think you live North. Just keep on keeping on and one day life will ease. It will you know. Lots of warm fuzzies.
# 8 Nov at 1:12 pm
Thinking of you Hamish. Hard times, deep times, sad times. And always…Jesus…who understands. Sending you our love and prayers. May your strength rise up and may you be carried by those Eagle wings.
# 8 Nov at 1:53 pm
Well spoken Hamish-I am glad that you are moving on but you will never move on alone-that is the great thing about being in this huge Christian family of GOd! I am sure the Lord is going to use you and your testimony of faith in a very special way for the harvest! God’s blessings to you all – Jeannie
# 8 Nov at 2:28 pm
Last night I dreamed about Aria. I am not sure what country we were in but I said to someone “This is like Chile, where you are served lunch at 3 o’clock in the afternoon”. I was so sleepy and trying to wake up when you Anita passed Aria to me in the bed. I cuddled her under the blankets as I tried to wake up a bit. Then I started to play with her while lying flat on my back, bouncing her on my knees and lifting her over my head. She was loving it and I thought I’d like a photo. When I got up to look for my camera I hunted everywhere for Aria but couldn’t find her to snap the photo! She’d run off somewhere to play. She wasn’t sick, there were no tubes anywhere, just a happy little girl thoroughly enjoying a romp in the bed. Thank you Jesus for that happy time with Aria.
# 8 Nov at 11:26 pm
Still praying for you all daily, that the pain will ease and allow you to feel comfortable with moving on. May the peace of God comfort and restore you, Judy.
# 9 Nov at 12:53 am
Thank you for the honest post. I have been wondering how you have been getting on. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. Aria’s legacy and inspiration will live on forever. I wish I could take some of your pain on my shoulders and lift the load that is on you. You are all so loved. God Bless, Lisa
# 9 Nov at 10:41 am
For the whole of her life, your world necessarily revolved around Aria–taking care of her and her needs–and, of course just loving her and cherishing her with all your hearts because since her birth you never knew how long you would get to have her. So she was your Sun and you were her Planets. Her passing has flung you from your orbit and created total chaos in your world–how could it not? Because of her illness, you have lost your precious child as well as your whole way of life. You must all feel as though you’ve been flying through darkness and void since your beautiful Sun is gone.
I just know that at some point the hurtling, twirling, terrifying flight of grief and darkness will slowly, imperceptively subside into order and stability that will bring a large portion of peace and light to your world once again. You will be in a different place, but it will nevertheless be a good and beautiful place in the new yet different orbit that is your life. I am quite certain that is what Aria would want for you, her dear family. And of course that is what God wants for you.
Our family still prays for you every day. Despite your pain and difficulty, you are doing as well as anyone could, given the circumstances. “Hard” is a good word to describe the process of moving toward your new world. God bless you all. Hugs from Texas.
# 14 Nov at 2:27 am
Part of the grief process is learning how to live without the one we love. It takes time, and isn’t easy. “Normal” isn’t normal as you knew it. It’s finding out what the new normal will be like.
You are in my prayers. I pray that the good Lord will continue to surround you with people who will allow you to say it as it is, and give you the love and support you need at this time.
Love Jo
# 15 Nov at 9:36 pm
Thank you for all your updates over such a long time. It has made us feel very much a privileged part of your journey caring for your beautiful daughter. I love the post from Cousins Kathleen & Anita! Often talk about you wondering how you are doing. I believe the Lord will make it abundantly clear to you in His time what He would have you to do. Love & prayers from us both.xx
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