2014 Children Memorial Service

(This is the outline I read during this year's Children Memorial Service. The audience were all the parents or family members of children at the same cemetery where my triplets rest.)

I’m Luis the father of Alexa, Jayden and Lilia,

It is dear to my heart to come to this peaceful place because my babies lay here, and it was the last place I held all of them together in my arms on this earth. This beautiful place is still full of love, tears and broken dreams but it is not what God originally intended to be when He created everything.

A few days ago, I had this moment of complete joy that gave me a taste of what is waiting for me in Heaven. A beautiful picture I want to share today.

That night my wife went out on a well-deserved girl’s night out. And I stayed home with our 3 boys. We were watching “Finding Nemo” and towards the end of the movie, at the closing scene were Nemo finally is found by his daddy. I was holding my two cuddly twins in my arms, and my 4 year old boy was laying his head on my lap. And then Jace started mimicking Nemo and hugging me saying "daddy, daddy!" while I was also hugging him and his brothers.

Can you see it like I experienced it? In this brief moment I had my arms, hands, and heart completely full. This picture gave me a little peek of how much fuller is going to be when I get to hug, kiss and hear all my babies in Heaven telling me “daddy!, daddy!” too.

Years ago, it was devastating for us as a couple, to know that in medical terms my wife was a barren woman. It was a like a death sentence to our dreams to become parents. But also it was the amazing opportunity to see God doing miracles. When everything seems obviously impossible for us to do on our own strength or power, it is the perfect storm when God opens the heavens and crafts wonders in my life, for me to experience and for many to witness with their own eyes.

I still remember the day we came back from the triplets’ funeral. We entered our home with empty arms. Not a single baby to love, care, or embrace. It was like the enemy was telling us, that there is no hope, no faith, no God.

And perhaps that’s how many of you might feel today.

But look again, do you see what I have in my arms? Yes, these precious boys will never replace my triplets. But the enemy was defeated, and God is victorious; and He will also be triumphant on the day when we enter the gates of Heaven and see our heavenly children again.

I’m not naive to think that life stops here, and that this is the happy end. I know that my boys when they grow older will have trials on their own. Life does and will go on. However, I pray I can impress in their little hearts the faith and trust that now I have in God. Because pain is real, and sometimes bad things happens to good people. But that (pointing to the graves) is not the final chapter, instead this (holding my boys) is what it will look like one day.

So, I want all of you to walk away from this event today with joy and peace; looking forward for the blessings that are waiting above.

"God's promises never have an expiration date!" 

(D. Hutsko)

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