Words of Gratitude

These are the words that were read at Maddox's Celebration of Life Service. Dusty and I wrote these words as a small way to express our love and gratitude to all of those who have walked this road with us. We can't thank you enough!

Luke 5:17-20 “And it came about one day that He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. And behold, some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in, and to set him down in front of Him. And not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, in front of Jesus. And seeing their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’”

This story, one that is found in each of the four gospels, is one that speaks volumes to us. It speaks to us not just of the healing power of Jesus Christ, but the faithfulness of the friends that loved this ailing man. That determination, love, faithfulness, and unwavering support is what we feel from each of you present in this room. We feel it from the closest friends and family that shared our precious time with Maddox to the many hundreds that can’t be with us today. This celebration is to honor Maddox’s life, God’s faithfulness to our family, and His love poured out on us through His faithful people serving as the hands and feet of Christ. We are so incredibly thankful… so blessed.

The time we shared with Maddox is something that is difficult to put into words. We anticipated his arrival from the moment we learned of his conception, and the joy of seeing his precious face, after waiting 8 months, was far beyond our expectations. Each day with him tucked tightly inside held beautiful surprises. We relished in his regular movements, peered at his tiny body in frequent ultrasounds, witnessed him respond to Deacon’s voice, and were overwhelmingly blessed by each new morning knowing he was alive and well. We are so thankful for the time we enjoyed his presence in our lives and although his time on Earth was all-too brief, his impact was so profound. We are eternally grateful for the life-change a tiny child was able to bring about in us… most importantly the strengthening of our faith in Christ Jesus. As we gazed at the face of our son Maddox, we couldn’t help but stand amazed at the Lord’s awesome hand of creation.

To our friends and family, we wish we could express to each of you individually how you have touched our lives and how we have been blessed by your prayer, service, support and love. The simple truth is there aren’t enough words of gratitude to adequately describe how you have touched our family. God has truly worked through you to serve as a witness to us and to others we have come in contact with throughout this journey. You are all very much a part of Maddox’s legacy and the impact he has had on numerous people across the country. Thank you so much for all that you have done and continue to do…you are the faithful ones, the people that have carried us into the presence of Jesus.

"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you wouldn't believe, even if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5