STUART JAME S HESELTON
When a baby dies, we are all affected. A life full of promise and newness is cut short. The joy at having brought forth new life is cruelly extinguished- And no-one feels the pain more than the parents. So it is with baby Stuart’s death, and Lisa and Keith.
A whole world is shattered; disturbing questions arise to haunt the parents. Why? What have we done to deserve this? Where is God now? And, to my mind, none of the answers people suggest are ever good enough. They do not relieve the pain, anguish and despair that Lisa and Keith will feel.
But there are some things we can say, and something further that I believe.
First , we can still give thanks for Baby Stuart’s life. For the few months of his existence he gave pleasure, like a beautiful flower or butterfly that appears for just a few weeks in the summer he was enjoyed and loved; and the pain cannot take away that pleasure. He gave pleasure as Lisa felt him grow inside her; the pleasure of anticipation, of looking forward to him arrive in the world.
And during his short life he was a bubbly little character; he showed that he already had a personality of his own; he gave as well as received love. His short life was important, and will never be forgotten. And we can also give thanks, in death for the support given to Lisa and Keith by family and friends, by Fred and Betty Heselton and Sharon and others.
And now this short, but important life, a life that will live on in the memories of Lisa and Keith, a life of which Emily, his twin will always be a reminder, this life has ended on earth. But he also lives on in his own right.
Jesus told us that God, our heavenly father, knows and cares when even a sparrow falls to the ground. How much more then will he care for Stuart
Jesus always had a special care, affection and concern for children while he was here on earth. We know that in Jesus we have someone who understands what it is like to suffer, because he has experienced it himself. Jesus never wanted children to suffer, and he wanted us to take especial care of them. In his life on earth, he took children in his arms, held them and blessed them. And so it is now. Stuart is safe and well, being held in Our Lord’s loving arms, beyond pain and hurt, until we are ready to meet him. Those that are left behind may be in pain, but not without hope for the future. For Stuart’s short life, then we give thanks, and pray with confidence that he may rest in peace.