Memorial for Jay

These are the exact words spoken at the memorial service to remember Jay.  Matt Casson, the pastor, did a wonderful job of remember and thinking of Jay.  I don’t think we could have chosen a better person to speak for our sweet Jay.    

Baby Jay Martin Rodriguez                                                                                                                                                     

Saturday September 12, 2015 – 10:00 A.M.

PSALM 121:  

I will lift up my eyes to the hills

Where shall my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord!

Maker… of heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip –

He who keeps you will not slumber…

Behold, He who keeps you

Neither slumbers nor sleeps!

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;

He…will keep…your soul.

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in… From this time forth and forever.

<< PRAYER >>

We’re here today to take care of some important spiritual business…

We are here – first, to give glory to God – and we are also assembled to support, console and grieve with Jeremy and Tiffany Rodriquez at the loss of their son, Baby Jay Martin Rodriguez.

Baby Jay was born Wednesday, September 2nd at 7:14 P.M. to this young couple, who were wed on June 16, 2011. Baby Jay has a big sister, Michaela…He is also survived by grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and many, many friends.

The excitement of a long awaited pregnancy has come to a terrible, unexpected and painful end.  This precious baby boy was born without life as we know it. However, there is no doubt in his life eternal in the presence of Jesus.  In a time like this, we are cut to the very deepest parts of our souls.  We are overwhelmed with emotion, with grief, doubts, anger and questions…

How could God let this happen?

Why did it happen to us?

What went wrong?

Those are questions for which there are few, if any answers.  I will not insult you by claiming to know what you are going through today.  However, I have stood by the side of others who have suffered the sudden unexpected loss of a loved one.  I’ve learned something through these experiences that I want to share with you today.

I learned that it’s OK:

□ to be confused

□ to be angry

□ to be sad

□ I learned that God is sensitive to our pain and allows us, even desires for us, to express our emotions to Him.

I want to draw you, Jeremy and Tiffany, and all family and friends gathered here today to what I believe is one of the most comforting passages of scripture during this time of loss.

These words were written by King David, and are found in Psalm 139:

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;  you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.  You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast.  If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that fully well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days that were ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.”  I especially want you to hear the words of David from verses 13-16: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.”

While Jay’s live body was never seen by you…he was seen by God.

While his active frame was hidden from us, he was not hidden from God.

Even though his body was small, and did not survive the womb, God knew him…and he is now in the presence of Jesus.

Verse 16 is especially important:

It says “All the days that were ordained for me was written in your book before I lived the first one.”

We often see death as untimely, or too early – but God is in control.

□ We are surprised, He is not.

□ We don’t understand but He does.

□ We grieve the loss, but heaven welcomes Jay home.

It may be surprising to you to know that King David, who wrote these words, also lost a baby.  In the moments after that loss, David found comfort in knowing, “I cannot bring him back to me, but I will one day go to him.”  David rested in the knowledge that his little boy was with God, and he would be with him one day.  Jesus promised that he was preparing a place for those who love Him, and He said, “Let the little children come to me, for the kingdom of Heaven is made up of little ones like these.” And He placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Your little, precious, Jay now has his eternal citizenship in heaven. He has been welcomed into the arms of Jesus – and I don’t say these words figuratively – I mean them; Literally! I have no doubt in my mind that he has been embraced in the warmth, love and protection of Jesus Christ.

Christ’s pierced hands now hold Jay tight to his chest, He has welcomed Baby Jay home!

In the last movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy “The Return of the King,” there is a scene where a man is dying of his wounds, and his daughter runs to his side. As she places her face over his, he fixes his eyes on her, and in the midst of his shock and pain, his bearded face breaks into a smile, his eyes brighten, and he says, “I know that face!” He experiences great joy at the appearing of his child.

Today we grieve over the loss of your child:

□ whose eyes you never saw

□ whose ears only knew sound from your womb

□ whose lips could not speak

□ whose smile you could not see

But I want you to imagine this in your minds:

□ When Jay opened his eyes for the first time, those eyes saw the glory of God!

□ When his ears heard outside of the womb for the first time, those ears heard angels rejoicing!

□ When those lips opened for the first time, they sang out in praise of God!

□ The first person to ever see that little smiling face smile was Jesus!

□ Jesus’ face broke into a smile, His eyes brightened, and he said, “I know that face! This is Jay!”

God wants to talk to you today. His word speaks so clearly to us in all situations. Let me encourage you to hold on to these words. This is God’s word, not mine. Isaiah 40:28-31:  “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Isaiah says in Chapter 41:  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”  No fear? Right now, we may ask how can this be???  The prophet Jeremiah said, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. THEN you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me AND FIND ME when you seek me…with all… your… heart.”

Right before he was crucified for our sins, Jesus told his disciples in John 16: “So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Happiness comes and goes: but in Christ Jesus we find eternal joy…eternal comfort…and eternal peace…

Let me close with what perhaps could be a “Love Letter” written by Jay, with the help of Jesus, to his family and to the family friends present here today:

I’M FREE!

“Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free.

I’m following the path God laid for me.

I’m sorry I could not stay,

To laugh, to love, or to play.

I know my parting has left a void,

You must fill it with Christ Jesus’ joy.

A laugh, or perhaps a kiss.

Ah yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow.

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.

My life’s now full, and I enjoy much:

Good friends, good times, Jesus’ touch.

Lift up your heart and share with me;

Follow Jesus . . . Love Him with me.”

Jeremy…Tiffany… Grieve!…yes, grieve!! – This is a natural human reaction, and grief is the genesis of the healing process during a difficult time such as this. Coping…moving on…struggling through this difficult time – it will not be easy, no. BUT DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THAT YOU CANNOT or SHOULD NOT GRIEVE!

Grieving is the first step toward healing process after the loss of any loved one. How long should you grieve? That is up to you AND ONLY YOU! There is no set formula or protocol. Shout to the Lord that you grieve…yet, also ask the Lord to give you the strength to persevere. No matter what you are feeling, choose to praise God from whom all good blessings flow!

Find comfort and security in your Savior Jesus Christ:

“We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus… but because Jesus holds tightly to us!”

We can rely on the promises of Scripture from John 14:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going…”

“…I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me…”

Prayer- Heavenly Father, in this hour of grief and sorrow, we need your touch. You have promised that you will never leave us or forsake us, but in these days, we need a very special reminder of your presence. Lord God, please bring your peace to Jeremy and Tiffany, their family and friends. Give us the assurance of your love and mercy. Help us, Lord, to proclaim like your prophet Jeremiah,  “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning;  Great is your faithfulness!  Therefore I hope in Him!”  By your mercy, Lord, do not allow us to be consumed by grief. We place our hope in you, we trust in your unfailing compassion and your great faithfulness. We commit this beloved little baby to your care, and we look forward to the day when we will be with him, face to face, and with you, in the light of your glory, for all eternity. Amen