Flowers on the Grave

Her name is Olive. And she’s in Jesus’ arms. The church prayed for her resurrection. I love that. I love the raw faith. But she wasn’t resurrected and a few weeks back a small baby was laid to rest.

I don’t know the name of this baby, but this is a report from evangelist Daniel Kolenda, just this week:

Tonight was very special. It started when I arrived on the field and heard from the crusade chairman about a report circulating around town. Last night, while I was praying for the sick, I saw a crippled man being powerfully touched by God in his seat. I went down to pray for him. While I was down there, a mother put a dead baby in my arms. She had been brought by the doctor for prayer. The baby’s little eyes were rolled back in its head, its body was limp and smelled very bad. I held the baby for a short time and then gave the body, still limp, back to the mother. The chairman told me that later that night, the baby resurrected! The word has spread all around.

Two babies prayed for. One resurrected, one in the arms of Jesus. We don’t know the why’s and wherefores’ of moments like these. But we celebrate with one family and support the other.

And that’s what Olive’s church did. If you were to walk through the cemetery near to Bethel Church in Redding, California a week after the burial, you will see flowers on the grave.

In fact you will see flowers on the graves around as well. And take a step back – there are flowers on every grave in the cemetery! What a beautiful response from a church in mourning for a baby’s death, to declare their love and prayers for every family going through the grief of a lost loved one.

Well done church.