His One and Only Son

Last year, I had the privilege to meet Michael Anthony Schulz, a sweet baby boy. I got to hold his tiny hand and see how beautiful he was in a small hospital room. I watched his mommy and daddy love on him with strength and grace that came from God alone.

His mommy, Brittany, wrote a beautiful post during Christmas time. I wanted to share it then, but never got to it while I was in Ukraine. As I think about Easter a week away, her post keeps coming back to mind. Today I want to share it with you.

I suggest you grab a tissue.

To Our Family and Friends,

At the start of 2009, Mike and I did not know what the year was going to bring us. We patiently and prayerfully anticipated each new day with a joy and a strength that only God could provide. We did know two things for sure: 1) we would celebrate the birth of our son and 2) we would be relying on God through our tears of sorrow and happiness.

On March 3, 2009- almost one month early- we welcomed our first born into the world, our son, Michael Anthony Schulz. Mike and I are incredibly blessed to have our son! We love his perfectly made toes, fingers, and smile. He has the brightest blue eyes that shine with love for his mommy and daddy. We knew on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 that our son would be fighting for each day of his life while inside his mommy and after his birth. On March 17, 2009, as Michael’s mommy and daddy, we were able to sing our son home to heaven. He met the arms of Jesus at 1:30am on March 18th.

Michael Anthony Schulz is the greatest blessing of our lives. Great blessings of this magnitude cannot come without great trials and sufferings. To take away the pain would be to take away the most magnificent joy. 2009 contained a pain that overwhelmed ours souls but through the grace of God miraculously soothed our hearts with the fact that we are the mommy and daddy to the greatest little boy who lived for two weeks and one day. Our precious miracle taught us what it means to love, what is truly important in life, and how merciful and gracious our Lord and Savior is. The most fulfilling two weeks of our lives were spent in a tiny private room shut off from the world by two pocket glass doors and hospital-grade pink curtains. Like the lowly barn where the miracle of our Savior’s birth took place, so was the unassuming hospital room where our precious miracle would spend his days on earth. Two of the biggest blessings in our lives came in the most fragile, desperate, yet beautiful bodies.

As we welcome Christmas, we understand that God’s ways are not our own. As we thought that we would be spending this Christmas as our son’s first, God knew that His plan for our lives required our son to be in heaven being cared for by Jesus. Mike and I understand what it means to let go of our one and only son. Yet, we still cannot comprehend what God did for us when he sent his one and only son to be born in a lowly stable. God had the joy of watching His Son grow and mature in His love and obedience. God also had the pain of watching His one and only son willingly give up His life in obedience to death on the cross for the glory of God and to provide a way for each one of us to follow in obedience and in the love of Christ to accept His free gift of salvation. The book of Romans tells us that the best works that each one of us can do is still only as good as filthy rags. Our sin separates us from the love of God. In God’s grace and mercy, he provided a way for our sin to be blotted out- the only way for sin to be covered is by the shedding of blood. Jesus, God’s only son, is able to cover over the multitude of your sins by his one-time sacrifice. By repenting and accepting this offer of perfect love, you can be free from your sin and guilt and be able to live out your purpose in life to glorify your Creator! How perfect are His grace, mercy, and love?!

As you look at the picture of our son enclosed, please remember the following: we have a perfect son in the arms of Jesus; we are not deserving of anything, but are fortunate to count our many blessings; and our son has the promise of heaven, which has also been provided for you by the birth and death of Jesus Christ. We pray that you are our brothers and sisters in Christ!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We love each one of you,

Mike and Brittany Schulz

“I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

- I Samuel 1:27-28

“God gives; God taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

- Job 1:21

You can visit their CaringBridge page by clicking here.