Lucy left quite a legacy when she departed this earth for heaven. She left a legacy that will last for years to come. Lucy left a legacy of love – the truest, most enduring kind of love – a love that is lived out in actions of great courage and sacrifice – a love lived out in thought, word and deed. Each of us would like to think we are leaving some kind of a legacy behind when we die. None of us will be witness to whatever our legacy might be. But I am here to bear witness to Lucy’s legacy, if only secondhand. But even secondhand, Lucy’s story is a powerful legacy of hope, courage, inspiration, sacrifice and abiding love.

I am deeply moved by Lucy’s story, even though I never had the privilege of meeting her in person. This isn’t surprising though, when I tell you that Lucy’s life on this earth was barely more than fourteen fleeting hours long. Not even one full day.

“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

Lucy went straight from the arms of her earthly parents into the waiting arms of her Heavenly Father. Who’s to say that’s not a life well lived?

Lucy was chosen. Lucy was cherished. Lucy is a child of God. Would that each one of us could know that we are as chosen, cherished and loved as Lucy was and is. Lucy was definitely chosen. You see, Lucy was a snowflake, a frozen embryo, adopted, chosen by her mom and dad. From the time she was implanted into her mother’s womb, Lucy was deeply desired and deeply loved. Nothing would change that, nothing. Not even a diagnosis of Trisomy 18 approximately twelve weeks into the pregnancy.

With this diagnosis, comes the possibility of miscarriage, stillbirth or a very short life expectancy for the child if born alive. A scan revealed Lucy also had an undeveloped brain, a heart defect and a hole in her skull, among other things. Knowing all this did not change Lucy’s parents’ love for her any more than God’s knowing all our imperfections and shortcomings changes our Heavenly Father’s, our Creator’s, love for each and every one of us. Lucy’s parents didn’t stop loving her when they found out she wasn’t perfect. In the same way, God knows we are not perfect, but He doesn’t abandon us – He loves us completely and perfectly just as we are.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.” (Isaiah 43:4)

With the aide of modern technology, Lucy’s parents were able to see her in the womb as she lived and grew inside of her mom. Because of Lucy’s diagnosis, they had these scans frequently to monitor how she was doing and to keep track of her progress. As a loving parent, our Heavenly Father does the same for each one of us.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

God sees us as we are and loves us. Lucy’s parents saw her frame in “the secret place” and they loved her with an unconditional, lasting love. This love for Lucy and their belief in her eternal value to God, as her Creator, led Lucy’s parents to protect her and care for her by carrying her to term, knowing Lucy’s life outside the womb would not be long, if indeed God granted it at all. But Lucy’s parents walked by faith, in obedience, requiring great courage and sacrifice on their part, in order to give Lucy life, and to give her life the value and dignity each one of us desires and deserves as a child of God.

They succeeded. Lucy was well loved. She was born into a family of a mom and dad, a big brother, grandparents, uncles, aunts, great uncles and aunts and a medical community of individuals who had also prayed over Lucy, protected her and helped her live long enough to leave the womb and meet the family who loved her so deeply that they did everything in their power to protect her and to give her life, such as it was to be. They did their part, the rest was in God’s hands.

God granted them time with Lucy, before He took her home to restore her fully, with that new and glorious body promised to each one of us one day. Their grief is now great in Lucy’s absence. It is a grief as deep as their love for Lucy. It can be no other way. To love deeply, is to grieve deeply. The world may not understand this, because the world tends to measure worth by length of life, by wealth accumulated or by accomplishments and awards. But our infinite value is given to us by the One who created us and knew us in our mothers’ wombs. Lucy is of infinite worth and value to her parents, just as she is to God, who knows her by name and numbered her days. Her parents were privileged to be a part of God’s good plans for Lucy’s life. They made sure that every moment of Lucy’s short life, she was treasured and loved. Lucy was never alone. She never knew life’s heartaches and disappointments, only God’s love shown to her through the love of her earthly family.

If only every child in the womb were given such courageous, sacrificial love and protection! I never met Lucy, but I am a friend of her grandmother. And I read the blog of her parents, where they shared their life with Lucy while she was in the womb, cherishing those days with her, not knowing what the future would hold for their family. Truly courageous to intentionally endure heartache in order to protect the life of your child and to give your child’s life value, dignity, meaning and eternity.

Lucy’s life was short by earthly standards, but her legacy will be long. The ripple effect of Lucy’s legacy has already begun. I am privileged to be one of those ripples in sharing her story.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

Lucy already has her new and glorious body! She has been set free from the pain and suffering of Trisomy 18. Lucy was a gift to her family for her “number of days” and now she leaves them the gifts her presence brought – the lessons of her legacy – a legacy of hope, courage, sacrifice, inspiration and abiding love.

sincerely, Grace Day