The room was dim. It had been a long day. Eliza Cait, our 10-year-old daughter, was set to go back for her second surgery in just a few hours. It was the latest…and most dire part of her battle with leukemia to that point
Our daughter’s life hung in the balance.
An infection had sent us rushing back to the hospital that morning. She had overcome so much in her month-long fight. We were filled with fear. We weren’t ready to lose her yet. For us, 10 years with our sweet, beautiful girl hadn’t been enough.
Just as they began to wheel her out for the second surgery, Eliza Cait coded. We watched…in what felt like slow motion…as doctors and nurses rushed to her.
I dropped to the floor, screaming out to God, praying that he would save my child. As I lay face down on the floor…the alarms sounded…the panic in the voices of those trying to save her filled my ears.
Aside from that, my wife’s screams were there. Mine too.
We were helpless as attempts to save Eliza Cait weren’t successful. The words still echo in my head often. The doctor told me there was nothing else they could do. She was gone. I’d never feel her hugs again. I’d never hear her voice again. I’d never be able to tell her I love her again.
And I loved her. She made me a dad. I promised to protect her in the first minutes of her life when she was a tiny baby in my arms. I felt like a failure as she laid in her hospital bed - night-after-night - withering away from a terrible disease.
In those next few hours, my wife and I had a decision to make. We could leave that hospital angry at God…turn our backs on Jesus. After all, why didn’t he save her?
We couldn’t do that, however. You see, Jesus did save her. Two summers before, our baby girl accepted Jesus into her heart. Jesus died on a cross in our place so that our sins would be forgiven. Eliza Cait accepted that…and my Jesus her Lord and Savior. Because of His sacrifice, she’d spend an eternity in Heaven.
In the days after our sweet girl went to heaven…we made the decision to start Bring Light Dance Ministry. We share Jesus at home and around the world through dance since Eliza Cait was a dancer. We want to share the hope of Jesus with everyone.
You see, we weren’t alone in that hospital room. In the worst moment of our lives…in the midst of the worst pain imaginable…we weren’t alone. Jesus was with us.
No matter what you’re going through, you’re not alone either. Jesus loves you. He really does. Because of His grace and love, we will see Eliza Cait again one day. How?
It’s simple.
In John 3:16, the Bible tells us that God loved the world so much that he sent his one and only son to die on a cross for our sins.
What are sins? In Isaiah 59:2, the Bible tells us that sins are things that separate us from God. And in Romans 3:23, we’re told that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
Here’s where the hope of Jesus comes in. Romans 6:23 tells us that the “wages of sin are death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, we’re told that Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead and that resurrection was witnessed by many.
The real question becomes…will you trust Jesus? Romans 10:9-10, we learn the greatest hope in the history of the world. It’s the hope that allows us to wake up each day and live life without our sweet girl. It’s my hope that these two verses lead you to a life with Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
No matter what you’re going through…Jesus loves you and has given you the hope of eternal life. I’ll leave you with two of the most powerful verses from the Bible. Here are verses 9 and 10 from Romans:
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
Now you’ve heard Eliza Cait’s story…which became our story…and you know that is all HIS story. Feel free to share your story with us by emailing bringlightdanceministry@gmail.com.