This is the blog for Gavin and Carrie Jones and family. We live in Papua New Guinea and are working to see lives transformed by the living Word of God through Bible translation. Gavin is a helicopter pilot. Carrie, who has her degree in Public Health, works in the lab at our busy rural clinic. Our son, Isaac, was born in 2004 and our quintuplets, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, and Grace, were born in 2012.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. The you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:3-6

Monday, February 25, 2013

Desperate call for prayer for a friend

This isn't directly about us, but it is about the Jones quints. One of our beloved volunteers shockingly and suddenly lost her toddler son Jack in a tragic accident. I am asking for fervent, faithful prayer for Gina and her family from those of you who are believers in Christ Jesus. This news has me reeling, and I never even met Jack; I cannot begin to imagine the depth and breadth of the pain of this precious family, including Jack's young siblings. Please pray they will be drawn closely and eternally into the Father's everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27: "The Eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.")

Part of the devotional I read tonight follows:
I turn with dismay from church services that are treated like radio talk shows where everything sounds like chipper, frisky, high-spirited chatter designed to make people feel lighthearted and playful and bouncy. I look at those services and say to myself: Don't you know that people are sitting out there who are dying of cancer, whose marriage [or life] is a living hell, whose children have broken their hearts [or died suddenly], who are barely making it financially, who have just lost their job [or their child], who are lonely and frightened and misunderstood and depressed [and angry and rocked to the core by grief]? And you are going to try to create an atmosphere of bouncy, chipper, frisky, light-hearted, playful worship?
And, of course, there will be those who hear me say that and say: O, so you think what those people need is a morose, gloomy, sullen, dark, heavy atmosphere of solemnity?
No. What they need is to see and feel indomitable joy in Jesus in the midst of suffering and sorrow. "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." They need to taste that these church people are not playing games here. They are not using religion as a platform for the same-old, hyped-up self-help that the world offers every day. They need the greatness and the grandeur of God over their heads like galaxies of hope. They need the unfathomable crucified and risen Christ embracing them in love with blood all over his face and hands. And they need the thousand-mile-deep rock of God's word under their feet.

John Piper, http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/sorrowful-yet-always-rejoicing [bracketed words mine]

The thousand-mile-deep rock of God's word says all the days of Jack's life were written in God's book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). We do not know why his days were so few, but we do know from Scripture that God's purposes are never thwarted, that He IS love, and that He is more than able to redeem this agony for eternal good in the lives of Gina's family and many others. 

To God be the glory for Jack's life,
Carrie


16 comments:

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    3. This is the most precious family you could ever hope to meet. We are all devastated by their profound loss.

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    4. Thank you all for caring so much and for praying. I am deleting some questions and comments out of respect for the family's privacy; your sweet concern was noted, though. I attended the funeral, my first for a small child, and ask you all to continue remembering this family in prayer. They are so heartbroken. Please especially remember the siblings.

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  2. Carrie, we will dutifully pray in agreement with you for Gina's family at this time of loss

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  3. What a terribly difficult loss. Praying with you that in time God turns their mourning to dancing, and that His love would enfold them and carry them through the difficult days ahead.
    D.Rumfelt

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  4. Dear Lord, Creator of the Universe and Author of Love, please wrap this family in Your Strength, give them Your Love with skin on and bring them the help they will need to deal this unthinkable loss. Please give them peace and Jack a hug from me. Amen. NKL

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  5. praying for Gina and family!! so so sorry for their devastating loss

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  6. Heavenly Father, Hear all the prayers for Gina and her Family at this time of the sudden lose of there baby boy Jack....Be with his Mom and Dad and all who feel this great lose...Lord surround them with your special Love Mercy Grace and Peace...Lord you alone know how deeply hurt..help my prayer combine with all other to comfort this family, Prayer from Dayton Ohio

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  7. So sorry to hear. Praying for Gina and her family in Jesus sweet precious name.


    ERIKA

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  8. CARRIE!
    I am just now reading your post- my heart is so broken for this family! Oh my soul- I an just sickened. I will be in prayer for each family member. I can not even imagine the agony and heartbreak- I just can't imagine it.
    Caren

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  9. I will certainly pray for Jack's family. I am sure he is surrounded by our Lord and all of His angels; praying that they will surround his family as well.

    Praying for Seth, too!

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    1. This is the most inappropriate place to put this spam I can think of

      Did you not realise this was a place to post prayers for a tragic loss?

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  11. Carrie, thank you for your christian love and caring nature. I am so sorry to hear about little Jack. He is with His Heavenly Father now. Cuddling in His arms I imagine. Please Lord, give Gina and her family the peace and love and harmony that only you can bring when there is such a deep grief. Be with the family and friends in this tragic loss. Guide them through each second of the day and bring them back to stand another day. Plese be with Jacks siblings as they may not understand where little Jack is or why they can't go and see him. Lord, you are the most gracious and loving God. You say children are a gift from you. We may never understand why this would happen but we do know who will get the family and friends through this loss. God Be the Blessing of their souls. Sonja Florida

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Gavin, Carrie, Isaac, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, & Grace Jones

Gavin, Carrie, Isaac, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, & Grace Jones

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