A Father's Witness

Below are the words Greg shared for the community in attendance for our beloved Maggie's funeral mass.  It is important for it to be clear what Greg and I believe regarding this chapter of Maggie's life.  Thank you to all for being a part of something that we hold so dear.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate a sweet little girl whose life was far too short.  We have all been on a journey together over these last several months, as we prayed for God to grant a miracle for our Maggie.  And the question we may be asking ourselves today is, why?  Why did God not grant a miracle in healing Maggie’s beautiful little heart?  I mean, there were hundreds of us intently calling on God to show us His mercy and grant her miraculous healing.

So, I am here, as Maggie’s father, to bear witness to the truth about God and what has transpired here. Beginning in early August of last summer, even before we knew about Maggie’s heart troubles, God began leading me deeper into prayer with Him. Soon, this prayer turned into consolation and His words for me were so simple…“let them see.”  Which to me meant we were to open our hearts regarding our dear Maggie to a broader community, wherein we would, “let them see the glory of God.” And I trusted God that, in doing so, Maggie would be fully healed and the glory of God revealed in the miracle of it. Now today, my family and I are entering more fully into the mystery of those words and I feel called to share our journey as you are all a part of our lives and have been so supportive of us.

Our understanding now is of a different glory, but the same working of a miracle.  As for “what went wrong and why are we at a funeral” well, I have an answer to that.  The answer is simple: we ARE here to celebrate a miracle, the gift of life, of love, and the glory of God.  The prayers of this community and of countless others stretched across the country, has resulted in our Lord granting us the most precious of gifts against the most terrible of odds.  After EACH ultrasound, of which there were 14 in 4 months, we were told how serious Maggie’s heart condition was and that we should prepare ourselves to lose her at any time.  Each visit was a crush to our spirit and really tested our resolve to remain faithful.  Yet, as each subsequent appointment came and went, our Maggie remained with us.  And low and behold, she came into this world earlier this week, which was something we were told from day 1 not to hope for.  That’s right, we were told from the beginning of this journey that we were to not have hope of meeting our Maggie alive.  Yet, as faith teaches us, God is the King of Glory and the Lord of Hope.  He knows all and is all.  And by this faith and through your intercessory prayers, that same King of Hope sustained us, nourished us, and granted us grace and peace beyond all measure.

Jamie and I were given an invaluable gift this week, the gift of getting to know our sweet Maggie in vivid detail.  She is so precious, so beautiful, and the gift of her life and this week, will last a lifetime.  And so you see, while not in the form we had prayed for, this God granted us miracles beyond our wildest dreams.

And I share all this so that you may join us in celebrating the great gift of His truth, as I bear witness on what has really taken place this week…an unmistakable miracle.

Jamie and I have grown so much in relationship with this God of ours, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, and know His desire is for each of us to be in such a relationship with Him.   He exceeds our every expectation and in communion with the Trinity, we receive glimpses of His heavenly kingdom.  That is what Jamie and I personally witnessed this week….His glory beyond all measure and a peek into heaven.  I smiled so much during our short time with Maggie that my cheeks still hurt.  I can’t recall any other time in my life when my cheeks hurt from smiling, let alone during such a challenging time. Who can grant that kind grace other than God, right?!

I promised Jesus at the beginning of this journey that I would witness, on behalf of our sweet Maggie, to His work done in my life and the life of my family, and so I share all this today. God asked me long ago if I would give Him my whole life…to which I said, YES.  And that Yes has changed my life, not just for the better but for the best.   Jamie and I know, without a doubt, that God alone is the giver of life, and I’m here in front of you today to testify to the goodness of God and how He transforms and heals hearts that are open to His love. He does hear our prayers, and He does grant miracles every day.  I think God asks each of us the same question, “will you give your whole life to me”.  Today, I renew my yes, knowing that God is faithful and always answers the desires of our heart.  As we celebrate this Mass, may we pray together for our sweet Maggie to enter into the throne room of Heaven, and may the gift of her life and our journey with one another, bear witness to the glory of God in the mystery and awesome wonder of His faithfulness and love."