I would like to let you know about the events of the last day in our lives. We were expecting the arrival of our son, Joshua Daniel Cowperthwaite in the next few weeks. Joshua was born about 9pm Wednesday, March 25,2009. He never took a breath, his heart never beat outside of his mother's body, and we believe he is home with the Lord.
We cannot comprehend the reasoning behind this event, but know that God is in control and that His purposes will be revealed when we all get to heaven.
As the newspapers will not take death notices from the general public, and charge high rates to publish online, I have decided to put the information on here for those who wish to hear the story of our beloved son.
While we grieve and pray about what we do from here, we have no doubt that God is faithful, He is steadfast and strong. He is our rock and our fortress. Job 1:20-22 reminds us that everything we have is from the Lord, and He gives and takes as He sees fit. Blessed be the name of the Lord, our Savior and Redeemer.
Joshua was 20 3/4 inches long, weighed 7 lbs even. He was born quickly, without warning in our camper. We are in California doing evangelistic work. My friend Justin had just arrived to watch the other children as we prepared to go to the hospital. We were not able to get to the hospital. Things happened very quickly.
Joshua never took a breath, his heart was stopped and we did CPR for 10 minutes until the ambulances arrived. There were 7 medics here to help Sara and Joshua in the tiny walkway of our little traveling home, and not one of them left us without hearing the truth of the promise of eternal life through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have faith that our son is in Heaven, worshiping at the feet of our Savior and Redeemer. While the Scriptures are not absolutely clear on this issue, we rejoice in hope as King David did after the death of his own son. This gives us a peace that can not be comprehended by anyone that does not have a personal relationship with the Creator of all things. Truly by God's grace and mercy we have that hope.
Joshua's lifeless body never felt anything. The workers and I continued rescue attempts in the ambulance and in the NICU. Nothing ever worked. All told, we all worked on him over an hour before they quit. Sara was also taken by ambulance, healthy, but needing to be checked out. Justin stayed with our children, all of which were asleep but Nathaniel.
Nathaniel, just 13 years old, heard the whole thing but didn't come out of bed until we all went to the hospital. He understands what happened and also praised God for our family and the Mighty things God will do through this.He is a wonderful young man who we pray continues to show a heart dedicated to the Lord. Knowing the grace and mercy of God toward his father, I continue to pray and hope that God is glorified in the life of my oldest son.
After things were settled with Joshua and Sara, I went home to be with the other children. I talked to the cab driver, Billy, who took me home. His parents were Child Evangelism Fellowship missionaries for years, and he had "lost his faith" years ago. I talked to him about having peace in any situation.
At first Billy thought I was crazy, but after talking for a while, he saw that I was not in shock, but understood that our child went home early, and will live for eternity having never tasted the pain of this world, heartbreak, sorrow, no tears. He never had to endure the things we all think of as unfair in this world.I sent him home with my card and a CD that talks about how the believer in Christ Jesus can have hope even when things look unfair, impossible to bear.
We have a hope, a firm knowledge that no matter what comes, God is faithful. He is working in all things to bring glory to Himself. I pray that this situation is used to lead people to see their need for a Savior. I pray that God works mightily in our lives as we remember who He is and what He has called us to do. I pray that this terrible event can be used to bring people to see that this life is temporary, and they must choose their destiny while there is still time in these mortal bodies. Our resolve is strong, and God will work it all out.
Though we tend to doubt ourselves and second guess every choice made along the way, we were reassured by the Doctors who said Joshua could not have been saved be it at the hospital or at home. At least we got to hold our baby for such a short time and see his beautiful face, made in the image of God.
Praise the Lord, for He is good. His mercy endures forever.
