Tributes to Talia

Before we put up the video of Talia's Thanksgiving Service, I wanted to get permission to post the various tributes which people had shared during the service, as these mean a great deal to us:

Pat Murray (dear friend who has shared this journey with us from the beginning)
I have journeyed with Talia and her parents. Throughout I have seen the challenging and fearful times.
Together with increasing strength and courage to make commitments, stand firm with beliefs, seek for more of God and a not-give-up approach of her parents.
I saw this beautiful baby being given so much love by her parents, her relatives and friends. I saw the way she would look at her mum; such eye contact and the way she would snuggle in when there were cuddle times. I saw the joy she brought all who were privileged to spend time with her.
I saw the staff of the Mercy and the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit so gentle, so caring and loving towards her. I felt the pain as her parents anticipated her birth, together with their strong faith in the midst of great unknowns that their God would be with them. I felt their overwhelming joy following Talia’s birth. I felt the joy and sense of closeness that flowed from the extended family.
I was privileged to walk through some of the challenges that Jeremy and Jan had. This involved, with Sallie Volk, a trip to the US with them and tied together questioning, talking and just supporting them as they were challenged to hold onto their faith and to give all their love to this precious button-nosed jewel.
I walked through the incredibly hard times following Talia’s death when the pain seems unbearable and unending and grief is unexplainable and the questions often unanswerable. I sat with them during the time of going through the frustrating practicalities which have to be talked about and decided.
Through all of this I saw how great an impact Talia’s short life had.
Talia – what a privilege to meet you, touch you, hold you. What a joy to love you. What sorrow to say goodbye. I am so thankful for your life.
     -Pat Murray
 
Ron and Jan Ellis (Jeremy's parents - Talia's Nana and Pa)
We were there! At the Mercy Hospital on Monday, September 7th at 1.29 p.m. What a privilege it was when your Daddy came to tell us that you had arrived. A beautiful daughter for our precious Jeremy & Jan, and a long awaited new grandchild for us.
Our love for you had blossomed from the moment we knew that God was ‘ knitting you together’ in your mother’s womb.
Each day we prayed for every little part of you – your eyes, your ears, your sweet little nose and your tiny rosebud lips; your arms and legs, fingers and toes.
Nanny had such pleasure with her knitting needles, and finding the perfect patterns for the tiniest garments.
When you arrived you were perfect and our hearts were brimming with love and thanksgiving for a beautiful little miracle grand-daughter and for the incredible joy you brought to our Son & Daughter-in-law
As we were privileged to hold you and softly caress you, we were not to know God’s plan for your little life; but we do know that His will is perfect.
19 days here on this earth - eternity with Jesus!
“Jesus loves you this we know, For the Bible tells us so. Little ones to Him belong,”
……Yes Jesus loves you
And now holds you in His arms.
   With all our love,
     - Nanny & Pa

Ross and Joan Macmillan (Jan's parents - Talia's Poppa and Grandma)
On one of the cards which Jan and Jeremy received, which was beautifully handmade, Talia's name was written down one side and the letters
T , A , L, I, A, began the words 'Treasured and Loved in Abundance'.
'Treasured and Loved in Abundance'
I think these words express the love we all felt, still feel and will always feel for little Talia. We have the assurance that she is now with Jesus and surrounded by love that our finite minds cannot even begin to comprehend.
Jan and Jeremy, through sharing their journey, have enabled God, through Talia, to touch so many lives - new friends have been made, old friendships renewed and existing friendships strengthened.
So much has happened through this tiny baby whom we were privileged to have with us for just l9 days. Talia will always be our loved and cherished little granddaughter and one day we will see her again in heaven and praise God together.
     -Joan Macmillan

Friends, it is at times like this that the Psalmist, composers, musicians or song and hymn writers speak to us and for us in words that we need to hear or want to say. None more so than the words of this poem which you will know because of its association with that lovely Scandinavian tune 'Finlandia'

'Be still my soul . . .'
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to your God to order and provide;
in every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; the tempest still obey his voice
who ruled them once on Galilee.

Be still, my soul; your God doth undertake;
to guide the future, as he has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be clear at last.
Be still, my soul; for Jesus can repay
from his own fullness all he takes away.

Be still, my soul; when dearest ones depart,
and all is darkened in the vale of tears,
then shall you better know his love, his heart,
who comes to soothe your sorrow and your fears.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
     -Ross Macmillan

Alison and Paul Riggs (Jan's sister and brother in-law - Talia's Aunty and Uncle)
Paul and I would like to share with you and Talia, how she has impacted lives.
Dear Talia, when your Mummy & Daddy shared that they were expecting you, we were thrilled that we would soon be welcoming a new niece and cousin into our family. While we were very upset to hear that you may not be well, we were truly inspired by their steadfast faith in praying for healing.
The Monday you safely arrived was wonderful, as was the joy that you brought to your Mum and Dad, our family and so many friends. You immediately became (and still are) an amazing blessing to our own family, particularly having a special impact on your 2-year-old, cousin Bethany.
Over the coming days we were so proud to tell your cousins about your progress, show them your photos and your Daddy’s amazing blog, as they were unable to see you in person. After many requests, we decided to sneak Bethany into the ICU. This was such a joy as she saw you opening your eyes and also lying peacefully in your Mummy’s arms. We were to hear many comments from Bethany over the next two weeks such as: “She is so cute, I want her to come to play at my house” She found a little hair clip, which she wanted to put in your hair.
It was wonderful to have you part of our family so we were all heartbroken last Friday; but needed to remind ourselves that God was now looking after you for us.
And to your Mummy and Daddy whom we also love dearly: it’s difficult to express the grief we feel. We are so proud of you and are inspired by your faith and trust in God. We have been incredibly blessed by the time we spent with you and Talia and we are changed forever. Amazingly through our tears, we have come to realise that Talia & the love surrounding her has profoundly touched us and shown us a most beautiful rainbow within the "Rain Of Heaven (God)”
Our prayers, love and support will always be with you.
     -Alison Riggs

From the moment you were born I felt a very strong bond and desire to see you and your mummy and daddy everyday.
I’ve experienced an overwhelming love towards you all, which I can’t explain.
I was so upset the one day that I was ill and couldn’t come in to see you.
We’ve met some beautiful loving friends of yours through this journey and plan to build further on these relationships.
You’ve also amazingly led us here to your church which I can now proudly call home for my family.
Your love has swept me into a world that only God can create and I am so proud to be your Uncle.
Jan and Jeremy, this has been such a blessed experience mixed up with every emotion that God has given us and I want you to know that we will continue to be with you every single step of the way.
Our deepest love forever.
     -Paul Riggs

Catherine Warren (dear friend and woman of faith who has supported us greatly)
I wanted to share my memory, a very precious memory I have of Talia. If you know me, you know that I fall into the category of loud. I don’t have many volume knobs and though the NICU at the Mercy Hospital is a very hushed and quiet and tranquil environment for many good reasons; even in there I struggled. But I would come in there and I would open the door to Talia’s little humidicrib and I’d say “HI TALIA, IT'S CATHERINE!” And unless she was fully asleep, one eye would open, maybe the other and she would look at me at first as if to say “Who’s that?”. And then she got to know me and she would open an eye or two eyes and look at me with familiarity and I knew she knew me and I could see recognition in her eyes. And she had the capacity to love and I saw her love me and I saw her love her parents. She was the most content when she was in Jan’s arms. No matter how many wires or cords were there she would somehow snuggle in and they would leave her for hours because she was just so content. We loved her but she loved us too. Thankyou Talia.
     -Catherine Warren

Jeremy and Jan Ellis (Talia's parents)
No longer am I afraid of weeping since I know God is there in the midst of the pain.
The last year or more has been filled with tears for us as we discovered that the little baby we sought for more than 5 years, would have a fatal condition and would be unlikely to even be born. Being asked to decide whether she was to die or have a chance to live was an easy decision for us, but not without its own agony.
As we began that journey, I saw my wife become the bravest person I have met as she nurtured and loved a little baby which had little chance of surviving in the natural – this was agony as every movement she felt for 9 months may have been the last. Together we deliberately began to understand God’s will in our situation and His intention for healing. We knew God could heal, but we had to understand if this included us.
We learned that even though He didn’t give us a specific word for our baby, God’s heart is for healing, restoration and completeness – this is the way He created all of us, including little Talia. Knowing God’s heart is for healing, we travelled to see revival and experience God’s unrestrained power – and we saw Him move to heal many people. We met them and heard their incredible stories.
Yet here we stand, grieving our little girl – and God didn’t heal her here on earth.
We don’t pretend to understand why this is the case, but Talia began a journey for her parents which has profoundly changed both of our lives as we sought to know more about the One who brought everything into being. We learned so much about God’s heart over this time and we are more committed than before to allow God to work through our lives and save, deliver and even to heal those around us who are broken. Keep reading our blog, since this is just the beginning of this journey for us.
Talia, you unlocked something in your mum and dad which can never again be locked away again. We were parents and we always will be your parents, because you are eternal just as we are. I will never forget the joy of holding you and loving you with a love that I had never known before. You were the most beautiful thing we have ever seen and looking into your eyes was something we wanted to do forever.
Your mum couldn’t bear to let go of your little body and yet we know you are waiting for us, longing as we are, for us to be together in eternity with Jesus. We struggled so much to let go, but we have given you back to Him to be held in the arms which also hold your mum and dad – the same arms which will use our lives to glorify Him, somehow, in the days to come.
     -Jeremy & Jan Ellis