THE EARTH LOST YOU BUT THE HEAVENS GAINED A PRECIOUS SOUL: A TRIBUTE TO THE EVERGREEN MEMORY OF AMARIS CHIMBUCHI (APRIL, 17 – AUGUST, 24 2019)

“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” -  Colossians 3:3-4

Dear Amaris: You ‘are’ our daughter in whom we ‘are’ well pleased. You would have turned a year older today 17th April, 2020. As your lovely parents, we would have rolled out drums to celebrate you with our all. Unfortunately,  you succumbed to the cold hands of death at a tender age of only four (4) months and six days.
Nothing seemed to have worked that day you unwillingly surrendered to the gnawing sting of death. We had fervently interceded on your behalf and begged God to intervene in the precarious situation and save you. Our supplication could not save you. The doctors could not either. We all helplessly watched while you struggled tirelessly to live and fulfil your destiny on earth. You indeed wanted to live. In our immortality, we had questioned why God “refused” to turn His gracious light of countenance upon an innocent dying child. At the end the worst happened, we lost you, the earth lost you but the heavens gained a precious soul. It was glory and hallelujah as the heavenly hosts welcomed you on arrival at the beautiful gate.
As mortals, our hearts bled profusely and tears flew freely. The pain and anguish of losing a JEWEL swells at the sight or mention of anything related to you. As people leave the grave yard in silence at the end of your internment; it dawned on me that you were no more. Our golden trophy was no more. My life seemed to have come to its crashing dead end as I sat haplessly beside your little grave in tears and unwilling to leave.
You were beautiful, smart and full of energy. Grand ma nicknamed you akwara foro otu. You were peaceful. You were intelligent. You were Daddy. At four months you knew Daddy. You knew Mummy, Peace, Grandma and others. We had bonded so well and had devised our own means of conversation.  As we pen this piece in pain and in evergreen memory of your short but fulfilled life, we could not but pause to reflect on the transient nature of man. Your passing on to eternal glory reinforced the stark reality of the saying that death is a necessary end. “Death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.” We had prayed and begged and cried to God to preserve you not knowing that the necessary end was indeed here. Today, we have come to realise that even in sorrow and death, God deserves our honour and praise. His might, power and glory cannot be taken away. Nothing happens without His knowledge and imprimatur. It was entirely His wish and will.
After nine years of waiting on the Lord in the wilderness of unfruitfulness, the Omnipotent God who gives freely without cost appeared in our family with a special gift. Our joy knew no bounds. Friends and relatives joined in their numbers to celebrate Gods manifest blessings, wonderful works, uncommon miracle and favour. The joy of celebrating this wonder of God disappeared so suddenly and quickly. Our long awaited testimony to the faithfulness and promises of God was cut short. The question was: God why? Your name was Amaris (Given by God) and Chimbuchi (God is God). Even in your death, God is not less. He gives; and continues to give, is still God and shall forever continue to be. In all situations and circumstances, we will give glory to God for His unfailing grace and faithfulness.
As we mourn your exit and ponder on the journey so far; we have taken solace in God’s word as exemplified in I Thess. 4:13-17, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again; and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the LORD's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the LORD, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the LORD himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And so we will be with the LORD forever.”
We end this our outpour of love to you with a rendition by Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss entitled “It Is Well With My Soul”:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
 It is well with my soul, It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!— My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.

Rest well Amaris


*With lots of love from Mummy and Daddy*