It’s been almost two years since Gideon went to Heaven. It feels like forever and yesterday all at the same time. The numbness is wearing off and reality is settling in. In the midst of my grief, I am comforted knowing death does not have the final say because Jesus conquered the grave.
On May 23, 2022, the night Gideon went to heaven, the hospital gave Gideon and his two young cousins a Prayer Bear. I remember the events so clearly. Everything happened so quickly that the cousins arrived at the hospital with no essentials (i.e. my nephew was only wearing a diaper). The hospital staff gave him clothes to wear and gave each of the cousins a Prayer Bear. The bears were a comfort to Gideon’s cousins in a time of great need.
As the one year anniversary of Gideon’s death approached last year in 2023, my family and I thought about different ways to honor Gideon’s life and legacy. Donating Prayer Bears seemed like a wonderful thing to do in his memory. Last year, 1080 Prayer Bears were donated to the hospital in memory of Gideon. The hospital chaplains tell children that “this bear comes to you with love from people you have never met who are praying for you.” We wrote notes and drew pictures on the boxes of bears when they arrived at our garage. Before we loaded up the boxes, we prayed for the children and families who would receive those bears. We also prayed for the hospital staff who would treat the patients.
I wanted to share what the hospital team shared after last year’s donation:
“The Prayer Bears you brought to us were of all shapes and sizes, and were exactly what we needed to help sustain the Prayer Bear program during the summer months – a time when donations typically dip. Upon receipt of your donation, we found ourselves stashing boxes of bears in every nook and cranny of our Bear Den. Finding room for boxes of bears is certainly a wonderful problem for the Prayer Bear program to face!”
In 2023, the hospital gave out a total of 17,329 Prayer Bears to children who need encouragement or support after a painful procedure, a lengthy hospital stay, or during difficult times. That averages out to approximately 333 bears per week.
We would like to donate Prayer Bears to the hospital in memory of Gideon again this year. If you would like to honor Gideon’s memory, you may purchase Prayer Bears for $8.00 each. Please fill out this form to help me keep track. I will order the bears, pray over the boxes with family and friends, and deliver them to the hospital in Gideon’s honor.
Thank you for honoring Gideon’s life. We truly appreciate each and every one of you. Looking forward to seeing Jesus and being reunited with Gideon. In the meantime, I cling to this promise in Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
