This memorial website was created to remember our sweet boy, Jonathan Lee Petri who was born into Heaven on October 3, 2005.
Jonathan’s message
God doesn’t promise us that bad things will never happen or that we will never have to live through the death of one of our children. His promise to us is that when our world crumbles, we’ll be held. I had convinced myself that my Jonathan was going to be a preacher and that our 3rd little boy was meant to do big and wonderful things for the Lord. Maybe this will be the only message little Jonathan ever delivers. Maybe his message is this. We will have tragedy and sorrow in our lives. We won’t always be rescued from nightmares in life. We will lose those we love, but if our lives are built on God’s foundation and our faith is in him, we can trust that we will be held in the arms of God through it all. He would ask us to look inside ourselves to see what is the foundation of our lives, where is our faith, does Christ live in our hearts.
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings
My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me
Psalm 63:7-8
October 15th is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day
For several years, this has unofficially been a remembrance day for those touched by the loss of a baby before or soon after birth. Now, The House of Representatives and our Governor have officially recognized this day. If you or someone you love have been touched by one of these precious lives, please take a moment in your home every year on October 15th at 7pm to light a candle in remembrance of the little ones who now rest in the arms God.
Jonathan's Work
As Jonathan's parents, we searched for meaning in his life and purpose in his death. We came to realize that although he will never grow up on this earth, his “ministry” lives on in us. There are many ways that we can reach out to others. One thing we did initially was to give books that are designed to help parents with young children who were expecting a baby brother or sister to come home. We have also given pocket sized pink and blue Bibles that can be used in photographs and then taken home in memory boxes. Now, I use my career as a Labor and Delivery nurse as a way for God to use my hands or my voice to do his will in whatever small way he chooses.
If you would like to do something for a grieving family, there are ways you can help. Providing things that are used to create priceless treasures for memory boxes that families take home from the hospital is one way. You may choose a hospital near you and give the these things to those who care for families. You can also donate financially to charities such as Llost(llost.org) or Bohdenshands.org who work with hospitals in Virginia to donate supplies to bereavement programs. By sharing talents such as sewing, quilting, crocheting or knitting. Gowns, blankets, and hats are gifts that can only be given when those who have the talent to create them donate them to hospitals. Someone in our area knitted the blanket that was placed around our Jonathan. How we wish this person could know of the hours it was held through rivers of tears, the many nights it lay beneath the pillow of our bed, and how it is still close by where we sleep. You may never know the impact you can make on another human being.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God"
2 Corinthians 3 -4
If you have lost a child and are searching for ways to honor your baby and to find support, I would like to share the following sites that have been helpful to me.
bohdenshands.org
llost.org
nowilaymedowntosleep.org
babyangelpics.com
aplacetoremember.com/griefwww.html
andiesisle.com/imagine.html
october15th.com
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1Peter 1: 6-7
You can contact Darren or Sherry Petri through this website or directly at spetrirn@aol.com.
