Guest post by Cindi Stafford Lockhart

“See, the Lord God comes with strength, and His power establishes His rule. His reward is with Him, and His gifts accompany Him. He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment. He gently leads those that are nursing.”  Isaiah 40:10-11 HCSB

Gatherings around the table have always been an important part of my life. I remember as a child, BIG family dinners on every holiday. As David and I started our own family, those gatherings continued to be very important to us. We would gather at Grandma Dorothy’s for our annual Christmas Eve seafood feast and celebration, or at Grandma Lilly’s on Christmas Day for ham, mashed potatoes, delicious white gravy, and brown-and-serve rolls. As our children grew into adulthood and started their own families, the traditions of gathering continued. Our family not only has a deep love for food and gatherings, but a deeper love for each other.

Click here for forty Bible verses about family.

In 2020, our lives drastically changed. Our oldest son, Brian, and his wife had filed for divorce. Brian was able to join our family traditions, but it was unbearable for him without his children. Brian was raised in the church, VBS, and Sunday School (with the famous Margaret Hamlet and Catherine Crump as teachers). At the age of 10, Brian and I made a trip to Lake of the Ozarks, and on the way home, in the backseat of our car-Brian asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins and be His Savior. But, as with many teenagers and young adults, church and Jesus were often replaced with friends and fun. I often talked to Brian about his relationship with Jesus and prayed for him (and all of my children) every day.

In late 2021, Brian met an amazing woman who loved Jesus. Kayla and her family were answers to my many prayers. Kayla’s dad kept asking Brian to go to church with them; Brian started attending church and re-dedicated his life to the Lord. We had several conversations about his Bible readings and the Bible studies they were doing. I could see a change in his life and in his heart. I also could see the inward struggles he was experiencing from the ongoing divorce and custody battles. Brian was a very private person and carried so much weight and struggles alone. On August 2, we lost our son. His struggles became too much to bear. Our family would never be the same. There was an aching, gaping hole in our hearts and around that precious dining room table.

I had wanted to do family pictures for some time, but we never captured family photos before his death because we wanted his children in the photos. God’s mercy, grace, and comfort have been my constant. There are days that I could literally feel God answering the prayers of dear friends helping me to pick up one foot and place it in front of the other. I have poured over scripture to find peace. I have worshiped when all I could do was take all of my emotion and pour it out to Him. I decided that part of my healing would be to get those family photos completed.

Honestly, two days before the scheduled shoot, I was ready to call and cancel. I couldn’t think of having family photos without him. I prayed and asked God to help me because I could feel it would be an important step not only for my healing but for my family’s healing. God helped me find ways I could include Brian in our family photo. I went to the Bible he gave himself for Father’s Day 2022, and there was a bookmark on Isaiah chapter 40. He had marked verses 10 and 11. In those words from God, talk about God’s protection and how He gathers His lambs and protects them in the fold of His garment. Brian found peace knowing that God would protect and watch over his kids. I also know because Brian had given His heart to Jesus, Jesus gently holds Brian now.

Our pictures are a reflection of God’s goodness in our lives. A reflection of our family and its love, strength, and our legacy of the “gatherings”. God clearly made His presence known to us through His creation that day-enveloping our family in a sky that speaks of His goodness. Healing came in the form of laughs that speak of our resilience and our love for each other. I look forward to heaven-the GREAT gathering, where we can all be together again. I kind of think there will be a big dining room table filled with all of our favorites….enjoying each other and praising our Savior for eternity.

Please feel free to leave comments for Cindi,

As always, hugs,