Heartbroken Mom Still Leans on God After House Fire Kills All Three Children
A Kentucky mother’s faith during one a horrific tragedy is inspiring thousands as she mourns the death of her three children and leans on her faith more than ever before.
Early on July 2, 2018, the Henry family’s home caught on fire while all five family members were inside. Only four survived; 2-year-old Ivy died in the fire.
Ivy’s siblings, 4-year-old John-Ross and 7-year-old Ireland, were flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, to receive treatment for their burns. Their parents, John and Christin, were taken to a local hospital in an ambulance.
Little John Ross died only a few days later.
When Christin heard about her two youngest children’s deaths, she immediately raised her hands and praised God that they were now in heaven.
A week after the fire, Christin went to Facebook to thank everyone for their prayers and to share a truly inspirational message.
“I’m so grateful for all the prayers and the people just loving on my family,” she said through tears. “God has been so good. I don’t want y’all to think I’m bitter. I’m not bitter. God is faithful.”
She also said of Ivy and John Ross, “They’re running on heaven’s shore right now, so happy. Praise the Lord they don’t have to deal with this old world anymore.”
Even though the family was feeling a divine peace of the two lives lost too soon, they were still rallying around little Ireland as she was healing from intense burns.
While in surgery receiving a skin graft, doctors discovered that she had contracted a bacterial infection in her blood. They prescribed antibiotics to the 7-year-old while friends, family, and strangers who were moved by this story showered the family in prayers.
Local drives and fundraisers have been thrown to help the family cover medical and funeral costs during this difficult time. A GoFundMe has even been set up, which has raised over $117,000 at the time of this article’s publication.
Ireland fought against the infection for three weeks, but she passed away on July 22, 2018 — just three weeks after the fire. Even in the midst of intense sorrow and pain, Christin’s message continues to be a message of God’s goodness and faithfulness.
“Ireland went home to be with Jesus just a little while ago. I held her and we loved on her until she took her last breath here. And she took her first breath on heavens shore,” Christin wrote on Facebook.
“Heaven just got sweeter. We will see her again. Praise the Lord for His peace and comfort. And for giving Ireland to us for 7 wonderful beautiful years,” she continued. “Thanks to all who prayed she is now healed and whole and running on streets of gold.”
When Amanda Cobb went to go visit the Kentucky mom in the hospital, she said that Christine compared herself to the biblical character, Job.
Job was a man who walked closely with the Lord and had received many blessings, both earthly and eternally, as a result of his relationship with God. Satan claimed that Job only loved the Lord because of the many blessings He had given to him.
God knew Job’s heart; He knew that he would continue to sing His praises even while in great turmoil so God allowed Satan to begin taking those blessings away one by one. Satan slowly stripped away every blessing in Job’s life, from livestock to the man’s own health. He even took the life of Job’s sons.
Just like God knew he would, Job continued to sing God’s praises. Job 1:21 shows his response to some of Satan’s attacks, “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'”
Christine said, “I feel like Job… lost so much but understand that these babies weren’t mine anyway. The Lord only allowed me to hold them for a little while.” She even told Amanda that she was thankful that God trusted her with such a trial.
This woman’s faith is truly inspirational and serves as a challenge to us. If she can continue to praise God in the midst of such traumatic events, how much more can the rest of us?
This story reminds me of the words of Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
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