Mason was a spunky, happy, energetic little boy bursting with personality. He was confident and kind. Funny and respectful. Entertaining and thoughtful. He lived life with enthusiasm. He laughed loud, played hard and loved large. He was obsessed with motorhomes and moose. He rocked a mohawk and feared very little in this life. He loved his family, his friends, and making people laugh.
Mason didn’t just smile, he sparkled.
One special Friday night in September of 2014, we heard Mason’s laughter for the last time. He woke the next morning with what we thought was the stomach flu, but soon discovered was appendicitis. He had surgery that Saturday night and our blissful ignorance told us that, just like all the other people who recover from an appendectomy, he’d be fine. But as I sat with him and talked about the soccer game he missed that day, his recovery began to deteriorate.
Within a few hours, two medical transports and three hospitals later, he was in septic shock and would never recover. He died at 7:13 am on Sunday, September 28th, just 24 hours after his first symptoms.
The moment he left this earth he was welcomed into the presence of Jesus.
And for him, every day since has been even better than the day before.
Mason is one of the greatest gifts God gave us. We are thankful for every second of the 6 years and 18 days we had him on this earth. And we are thankful that every day since, we have seen how God works the good in all things. God doesn’t waste anything. Not any part of this painful journey of loss. He has used Mason’s story in beautiful ways.
And that story is still being written.
Shortly after Mason’s death, dear friends of ours were moved to establish a home for orphans in India in honor of Mason. As a Hope Center with Hope Partners International, Mason’s Place has now expanded to two homes and is providing a refuge for the marginalized, neglected and victimized children of India. While we desperately miss our little boy, we are made so deeply aware of all those little children missing a family and desperately needing hope. It is truly humbling to see my son’s name woven with these precious lives being transformed through the love of Christ.
Our family is now selling everything we own and moving into a 5th wheel. We plan to travel around the US, share our story and share what God is doing at Mason’s Place.
In many ways, this feels like a dream of Mason’s. His obsession with motorhomes ran deep. It was once even his nickname. Every single night he used to pray, “And please help us save up enough money to buy a motorhome trailer.” A friend of mine recently said, “I wonder if the Lord prompted Mason to be all about motorhomes knowing that this would all happen and this time might be one of the most treasured family adventures. I imagine the kids will have lots of stories to tell him when you’re all together in heaven.”
What a beautiful picture. I can’t wait for that day.
