In Our Hearts
IN LOVING MEMORY OF CHRISTI THOMAS, FOREVER 9
"Her Smile"
Though her smile is gone forever,
And her hand I cannot touch,
I still have so many memories
Of the one I loved so much.
Her memory is my keepsake,
With which I'll never part
God has her in His keeping,
I have her in my heart.
posted by the Thomas team @ 6:41 AM
25 Comments:
Beautiful poem and one beautiful angel! My prayers are with you.
That is just a gorgeous picture of your beautiful Christi! Did you do that? It is just breathtaking!
Thank you for sharing.
may God's peace be with you.i know this is the loneliest time,when everbody has gone back to their lives leaving u alone with the memories.i have faced it,i know.Jesus is with you.
isnt there a typing error in the word 'memories' in the poem?
Beautiful Poem.
Thinking of you always, praying for strength and comfort.
Know I love you.
Lots of love and prayers for always,
Heather
Thank you for posting such a beautiful picture and poem.
Thinking of all of you daily, Christine
Angela ~ Shayne ~ Shayla ... thinking of you all today as you remain in my thoughts and prayers every hour ... thank you for the beutiful angel picture of Sweet Christi ... she truly was a beautiful angel on earth I can only imagine her glory as a true angel in Heaven! Recently I was listening to the Johnny Nash song "I can See Clearly" and this verse took me back to the last weeks of Christi's life at CHOP, sadly she wasn't without pain and suffering and was tortured with pain more than any person let alone a child should endure ... this is the verse that made me think of Christi as she entered Heaven's Gates running into Grandpa's arms for the first time ... I hope that thought brings you some comfort as you miss the physical presence of the amazing Christi. God Bless you Thomas Team!
"I think I can make it now, the pain is gone.
All of the bad feelings have disappeared.
Here is the rainbow I've been praying for.
It's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiney day.
Look all around there's nothing but blue skies, look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies"
I have small comfort knowing that Christi finally is pain free and caught her rainbow in Heaven.
Love to your family from mine!
Rebekah Clark
Prior Lake, MN
mommy_jaden@yahoo.com
I thought of you AND Christi as i read this poem so i wanted to share it with you:
You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.
You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the
womb,
you're just what he wanted to make.
The parents you had were the ones
he chose,
and no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with
God's plan in mind,
and they bear the Master's seal.
No, that trauma you faced was not
easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
but it was allowed to shape your heart
so that into his likeness you'd grow.
You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the
Master's rod.
you are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!
written by Russell Kelfer taken from the book The Purpose Driven Life.
What a beautiful picture and poem. You and your family remain in my prayers.
very touching
That was made by someone on the MySpace! There are some really gorgeous ones on there, aren't there??
Thinking of you...
Jennifer
What a stunning picture! She looks so happy - as I am sure she is in Heaven - despite the fact the you are missing her so!
There is a quote from Edna St. Vincent Millay: "The presence of her absence is everywhere." How true!
With love -
Kim
I am praying for you through the night. love you much. sylvia
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Thomas,
Each morning our class prays for Christi. We pray for Shayla and you, too.
XOXOXO
Brigid and Celie
I'm wondering how you make it through each day. I'm knowing that it's God's love and grace that are going to help you. I'm thinking that noone can do it on their own. I'm praying that you trust HIM for stregth.
I heard an absolutely beautiful song this morning and immediately thought of the Thomas Team!
Held - Natalie Grant
Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.
Who told us we’d be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We’re asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It’s unfair.
Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we’d be held.
This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred NUMB our sorrow.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.
(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we’d be held.
Bridge:
If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?
(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we’d be held.
My prayer for yau is that you feel "held" by all of those who care about you!
I've shed quite a few tears over the last few days reading this blog.
I'm praying for all of you. I've decided that next time I give blood I'll ask about becoming a platelet donor. Changing the future by inspiring others to give a chance of life to others (from all walks of life, over the world), will be Christi's greatest legacy.
Steve (Newark, UK)
Hello dear Thomas family,
This message is for Shayla especially, but really is for all of you.
Shayla,
I just wanted to tell you that I lost my older brother 20 years ago. Much like you and your sister, my brother and I did everything together too! He taught me how to water ski. We even were partners in a junior archery league.
He had a disease called Cystic fibrosis, for which there is no cure, so he was sick quite often.
My parents had to spend a lot of time with him, to try and get him well. I know they felt bad about not spending much time with me, but their work helped him stay with us much longer --- am now I am so thankful they were able to do that for all of us.
I'm now married and have two boys of my own (one who actually looks a lot like the brother I still miss terribly).
But in the closet of our guest room is an archery bow that my brother made in school. I often go to the closet, just to hold that bow --- and it makes me feel like I am with him again. And I smile while thinking about those memories.
So I just wanted to suggest that you can choose something, some item, that will remind you of your sweet sister Christi and your fun times together.
You can keep this item with you forever - even far into the future, when you have your own children. It will help you to tell stories to your own children about all the fun you had with your sister.
I do this ALL the time with my boys. Now they both know all about their "Uncle Mike", even though they never met him.
But best of all, the bow helps me be close to him again.
All my love to you and your parents,
Val
He knows it all - the winding path,
The sky o'ercast and grey,
The steepness of the mountainside,
The roughness of the way,
He knows it all - the haunting fear,
The doubtings and distress,
The wond'rings and perplexities,
And all the strain and stress.
He knows it all - each troubled thought,
Each anxious wave of care,
Every burden, Every Grief,
Or cross that thou dost bear.
He knows it all - thy weight of woe,
Thine often tear - dimmed eye, The stabbing pain, the slow, dull ache,And sorrow's broken cry.
He knows it all - but His to choose,
And Thine to take his choice,
He knows it all! He planned it so!
Then trust Him and Rejoice!
I have no words...I have followed Christi for years and it breaks my heart to see another beautiful child lost. My thoughts are with you during this horrible time.
Angela ~ Shayne ~ Shayla and Christi .. thinking of you today as I always do ... praying for your strength as you continue down this strange but new road ... I hope your day has gone as well as it can ... the new daily reality must be awful but in the end Christi is looking down on you and thanking you for taking such great care of her for 9 wonderful years, even when she was sick ... thank you again for sharing your prescious child!
Love from my family to yours!
Rebekah Clark
Prior Lake, MN
mommy_jaden@yahoo.com
Thinking of you today, not that that's different from any other day but I wanted you to know.
Know I love you all and will never, ever forget your precious Christi!
Hugs and kisses to all of you!
I love you!
Lots of love and prayers for always,
Heather
Thomas Team - thinking of you today ... what a beautiful family you have, how much you have changed my heart and mind and how much your daughter was loved by me and so many others ... hoping you are doing "ok" ...
Love from my family to yours!
Rebekah Clark
Prior Lake, MN
mommy_jaden@yahoo.com
"Good Friend...
Why did you have to go?
Just when I was getting to know you..
I sing this song to show..
You were a good friend...
They don't make em quite like you..
And in my memory,
you'll always be..
A good, good friend to me.."
(as sung by Kenny Rogers)
In memory of your precious daughter.
Katie
Just wanted to stop by and let you know I was thinking about you guys!
Always in my thoughts and prayers.
Becky L. Harbarth
Gaylord, MN
Dear Angela, Shayne and Shayla,
I have followed and shared your pain for the last year. The last 4 weeks or so have had me thinking, worrying and crying over you all most of the time. We've never met yet I feel I know you so well through Christi's blog. She was, and is, an amazing inspiration to so many. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us.
I look at your blog each day still. I am so worried about you all. Christi is now pain free but your pain is so much worse, and that makes me cry afresh. Shayla - remember how much Christi loved you and still loves you as she looks down from heaven. I am a big sister and the thought of leaving my lil' sis on earth without me brings pain that is too hard to describe. Christi is still looking out for you. If you concentrate you will see her love surrounding you each day. If you really, really try you will hear her giggle as she teases you like she did when you were on earth together. If you lose a pencil or eraser or book, for example, you can be sure it has been moved by Christi as she watches over you day by day.
Please excuse my own random blog of my trip to Japan. Your journey kept me connected to reality in my crazy year away.
Love and prayers and blessings to you all.
God bless
Amanda
You all remain in my thoughts and prayers. How is Shayla doing? I hope that she finds a certain comfort in the routine things like going to school and her after-school activities. I know that your hearts are so full of Christi and the legacy she left you and I pray that this will bring you some comfort in the days to come.
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