Jordan's Legacy
One tough nut - that does have a nice ring to it. Little did we know how popular that phrase would become over the course of a few weeks since its posting. Yes, Jordan's story became much more popular than we had ever anticipated. The website was created as a means of communication with family and friends and, ultimately, as a gift to give to Jordan when he was old enough to understand. We are fortunate to have so many caring friends and family. It was an honor to share our son's battle with them. It is a written account, meant to be a reminder of the unwonted circumstances Jordan would have to face as he fought for survival.
Jordan surprised us all though, didn't he? Even the medical professionals were caught off guard on many occasions. Jordan was big and strong. He never let on how sick he really was. At his core, Jordan had a pure and simple desire for breath, for life. No setback ever took that away from him. We never truly expected Jordan's life to end the way it did. We have asked ourselves, "Why is that?"
Through Jordan's tribulations and loss, we received a gift - a profound new understanding of hope. Hope can be many things to many people. But, Jordan taught us that a true sense of hope is not based emotions. No, emotions are not an anchor of the soul. Life gives us more drama than could ever be captured in writing. Jordan's life revealed that true hope can, in fact, guard our very thoughts.
"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts You."
~ Isaiah 26:3
Our hope for Jordan was based on trust in God. Trust that His word is true and accurate. Trust in the promises given to us. God never specifically told us that Jordan would necessarily survive. We do feel that we were promised a fighter though; and Jordan fulfilled every bit of that promise. We could not conjure up false hope for Jordan based on what we were seeing with our eyes or feeling within our hearts. Our peace came from the Lord and the natural love for Jordan that he stirred within our hearts. At the end of the day, we were Mommy and Daddy, and we loved our son. Our family fought through each day with peace and great expectation of the Lord.
Jordan never uttered a word, nor even a cry. Thirty-four days is but a blink of an eye in most lifetimes. Yet, he taught us more in those precious days of life than most can teach in a lifetime. The simple, yet powerful impact of love. The ability of a common hope to pull us together in difficult times. The mysterious and powerful healing nature inborn within the human body. The importance of prayer, fasting and worship.
Baby Jordan inspired so many, from so many different backgrounds with his story. Strange to be talking about a legacy as parents of an infant who only lived 34 days. But, those 34 days could fit more volumes than some lifetimes.
You will be greatly missed Jordan, and cherished forever. We will confidently await in hope on the day that we will be reunited with you. Big brother Caleb summed it up best when he asked us where baby Jordan is and it was explained to him that he went to see Jesus. With pure excitement that only a child can summon, he exclaimed, "That's awesome!"
