THE SHIP OF LIFE
by John T. Baker
Along the shore I spy a ship
As she sets out to sea;
She spreads her sails and sniffs the breeze
And slips away from me.
I watch her fading image shrink,
As she moves on and on,
Until at last she’s but a speck,
Then someone says, “She’s gone.”
Gone where? Gone only from our sight
And from our farewell cries;
That ship will somewhere reappear
To other eager eyes.
Beyond the dim horizon’s rim
Resound the welcome drums,
And while we’re crying, “There she goes!”
They’re shouting, “Here she comes!”
We’re built to cruise for but a while
Upon this trackless sea
Until one day we sail away
Into infinity.
Over the last two weeks I have felt the presence of little Eliyana's soul so powerfully. I see it in colour and beauty and song. In a distant place yes, yet one that has been brought so close it has touched me in such a gentle and profound way that there is no more fear left, only love and peace.
I want to thank anyone and everyone who has prayed and thought about us. Tani, the girls and I have felt people's prayers in the most tangible way.
Yesterday we planted a beautiful yellow rose as a memorial to Eliyana in the garden. This morning the first morning light bathed it in innocent and childlike radiance and it felt like she was smiling.
We made a little memory box filled with scan pictures, the poem above and a little hat and bootee set I had made for her.
She will always be a part of our family. Her place in God's kingdom is really only a breath away from ours. Yet she is ahead of us, taking our hand in hers as He has taken her hand in His.
There is Peace.
