Noah Sweet Noah

FAREWELL SWEET NOAH

As everyone now knows, our beloved Noah passed away on July 6th. We cannot express our grief and the pain that we are feeling but we are most grateful to have had the honor of being his parents. We wanted to share a poem with each of you that Jean's sister, Libbi, wrote. She put it into beautiful words and summed up our little Noah perfectly... It is entitled

NO MORE WORDS

He came to us on a beautiful July morn
The sun was shining bright the day Noah was born
Jean and Jeff's 4th child and second son
His journey on earth at last begun!
He was a special child right from the start
And his infectious smile won all of our hearts
He found joy in dancing with shadows on the wall
His laughter ringing as they'd change from large to small.
His number one snack was table salt all alone
And yellow was the color he chose for his own
With his beloved Monster trucks he'd often go "vroom"
And Noah's favorite spot was Grandma's red room!
At the computer one could find him almost every day
Creating on the M&M website where he liked to play.
On vacation at the beach he'd put on his hat
And race to the front of the golf cart where he sat.
He loved little cars and his Dad's "little hair"
And when bedtime came, Jeff must be there
To be with him and hold him close as he fell asleep
So under Jean and Jeff's covers he would often creep
And only "Emmy" could get him out of the car
For in his little world, she was the brightest star.
A child of few words, his patience would thin
When we would push too hard to talk with him.
"No more words" he'd insist with palm held up high
And we knew it was useless to even try!
But other times his voice would ring out clear
When, "Mommy!" he'd say, "Come look here!"
When Jean needed it most he'd appear at his mother's side
To pat her cheeks, give her a kiss, then away he'd glide
And on those rare days when Jean would break down and weep
He'd touch her lips and "Momma, no cry" he'd repeat
Noah's view on life was very unique
A different path he seemed to seek.
In the world's view he was limited by GSD
But we knew that in his soul he was living free.
Unburdened by convention or the woes of man
'Twould seem he understood the Father's plan
For Noah knew this was why we came to earth
And that death is really just another birth
We mourn the time we wanted to spend with him here
And we'll miss the sound of the voice that was so dear.
But we believe as he slipped through the veil with hands held high
He may have whispered "No more words" as he said goodbye.

On Sunday afternoon we gathered all of our extended family together and shared our testimonies with each other about the Savior before we went to Noah's viewing. Below we have posted our testimonies and hope they will bring a measure of comfort to those who are mourning with us. We cannot express our gratitude strongly enough for all the love and sharing that we have experienced this week-end. We love you all and thank you for your loving kindess and goodness. It has overwhelmed us.

Jeff's testimony…

I want to thank each of you for loving Noah. We have felt your prayers on our behalf and have come to know that prayers can reach to us and put arms around us to comfort us. I want my family to know that I know that God lives. Heavenly Father has a plan and I know that this is his will and part of his plan for us. It is up to us to submit to that plan and try to understand. Our Father allowed Jesus Christ to die, that too was part of his plan to allow us to return home. I know that Noah has returned home. Today he is in Paradise, his mission here completed, he has done all he needed to do and he was called home. Knowing that gives us peace and hope. It's pretty simple. I told Jean Friday as we drove home to tell the children about Noah. It is either true or not true. It's as simple as that. I believe, I KNOW the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and we just have to have enough faith to endure to the end. This moment is not something we wanted to have happen. What our family has is special. Many people in the world do not know what it is like to have this kind of love, this bond, this faith. God's plan is right. It is a plan of love. What we have in our extended family is the pure love of Christ and all I can say is that the world needs what we have. It needs more civility, more love, more faith. We have to share what we have, we have to reach out to others and invite everyone to know what we know…that God lives, that his son, Jesus Christ is our Savior and there is peace only because of him. We suffer great pain today. We have a tiny glimpse of Christ's suffering in Gethsemane. But he not only suffered there but he also had to walk through Gidron Valley and hang on a cross at Golgotha for us. The world believes this but they need to know the happiness that is there for them. They need to know the comfort we find as we read the Bible. The knowledge we have of God's plan keeps us going. And there is a plan, there was no big bang…this earth was planned down to the smallest grain of sand. It is a beautiful plan and we must share it with everyone we meet. Smile, shake hands, share your spirit and let those you come in contact with leave your presence better for the experience. This testimony I leave in the name of my Savior and yours, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Jean's Testimony…

On Friday when I found my precious little boy, I realized when I saw him that he was gone. The paramedics worked valiantly in our home and en route to the hospital. I prayed and prayed but I knew that the Lord had taken my baby home. I yearned for peace, I wanted the comfort of peace and I prayed for it but it did not come. Jeff was calm, he felt sorrow but he was at peace. I wanted to be but I wasn't. I know the plan, I understand the plan but my life felt empty. The past few days I have experienced an outpouring of love from my family and friends. On Saturday, I didn't want strangers dressing my baby. I asked my sisters and my Mom to go and perform this act for me. They did what I asked and returned and told me of the peace they had experienced during that service. I was jealous. I wanted to find that peace but although I tried, I could only feel sorrow. Then, on Sunday morning, Jeff and I prayed together for a very long time. Jeff told me that it was time, he said it was time to let go and give our son to the Lord. Finally, I said, "Father, thy will be done. Take care of my son." For the first time in two days, I felt at peace. One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible reads, "Be Still and know I am God" I couldn't be still before but now I was and I was able to listen to the Spirit and feel that sweet peace. I know where Noah is and that his journey has not ended but has just begun. I am honored to have been the mother of a perfect child. My arms are aching to hold my baby one more time but with every fiber of my being, I know…I KNOW Jesus is the Christ, I KNOW he loves us and would NEVER give us more than we can bear. Yesterday I could not find peace but today my Savior has come down and wrapped his arms around me and I feel his love and concern. I know he has not done this to punish us or because he doesn't love us but because Noah is a valiant son of his and was ready to go home. I am so thankful for an eternal family. This knowledge gives me strength and power. Our family is worth more than any silver or gold, greater than any riches. My family has buoyed me up and I am so grateful. I know my redeemer lives and that knowledge gives me peace. When I was a child my Dad made us recite scriptures at the dinner table. I was only five and so he allowed me to repeat the same scripture everyday for years. It was two words, "Jesus Wept." I never knew that it would come to have such significance for me. I know that Jesus is weeping with me now but I also know that Noah is happy. That knowledge brings me peace. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
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