THE LORD HAS A PURPOSE FOR MATTHEW RUDY KOSCAK!
This letter is from Grandpa Don and is written for everyone whose life has been touched by Matthew Rudy Koscak … especially for his brothers, Brendon, Scott and Joshua.
We who are close to little Matthew believe the Lord has given him to us for a special purpose. Maybe you are wondering what that purpose is. I want to share some of my thoughts with you. In Psalm 139:14 King David said: "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Most frequently we apply that Psalm verse to our fantastic physical and mental capacities When we stop to think about how our bodies function, we are amazed at the mysterious and complicated ways everything fits together to keep us alive. But can we say that about Matthew when there are so many things that are not "normal?" Is he "fearfully and wonderfully made?" Positively yes! And what purpose does he have for living? I am still searching for words to express my ideas. After you read what I have to say, you might add more of your own thoughts. The Lord has so many purposes for him that we could write a book!
1. We can love ourselves and be loved by others even if we are not perfect
I believe the Lord is using Matthew to teach us we don't need to be perfect to love ourselves and be loved by others. We live in a world that places so much emphasis on being the perfect height, perfect weight, perfect looks, perfect intelligence, perfect personality, perfect whatever. Too often those around us call attention to our imperfections. They tease us. They ridicule us. They are condescending toward us. They put us down. That causes us stress and shame. It is easy to look at ourselves with disgust and despise the way we are made. Though God wants us to grow and change spiritually, He loves us with an everlasting love and asks us to love ourselves the way He created us. When we have the opportunity, let's touch little Matthew or hold him in our arms and thank God that "we are fearfully and wonderfully made."
2. We can love others even if they are not perfect
I believe the Lord is using Matthew to teach us that others around us don't need to be perfect in order to love them. Someone said that we all have handicaps, but they are in different places in our bodies. It is easier for us to see the handicaps in others and of course it is easier for others to see the handicaps in us. Too often we have heard people teasing and ridiculing those whose faces are disfigured, arms and legs are dysfunctional, and mental capacity is limited. When we have the opportunity, let's look at little Matthew's bilateral cleft lip and promise never to tease or ridicule those whose faces are marred or scarred. Let's hold little Matthew's crooked hand in ours and promise never to tease or ridicule those who can't use their arms. Lets touch little Matthew's clubfoot and promise never to tease or ridicule those on crutches or in wheelchairs. Let's stroke little Matthew's head and promise never to tease or ridicule those whose mental ability is limited. Let's just hold little Matthew in our arms knowing there are invisible chromosomes that got mixed up when he first became a human and promise never to tease or ridicule those who are in any way different from us.
3. We all live moment by moment but with the promise of eternal life
I believe the Lord is using Matthew to teach us to face life and death with Christian hope. Perhaps this will be the most difficult lesson for Matthew to teach us. If we are honest about our feelings, all of us would probably admit that we fear death or at least fear dying. Often that fear is so strong that we are afraid to talk about it or even use the words "death" or "dying." That's normal … up to a point. Ever since the medical doctors diagnosed Matthew with Trisomey 18, they predicted an early death … before his birth, at his birth, or soon after his birth. That prediction was heavy on our hearts for many months and especially on September 13, 2001, the day he was born. As I write these words, Matthew is almost 6 days old. He has lived beyond our expectations. He has lived beyond the expectation of many in the professional medical field who recommended that his mother terminate his life in the earlier stages of pregnancy. I believe his mother Ruth will be rewarded for giving Matthew an opportunity to live with a loving family for as many days, weeks, months or years as the Lord gives him.
a. But love always comes with a price. The more time we spend with a loved one, the harder it is to give them up to death. The more we invest our lives with Matthew, the more of God's grace it will take to let him go. When we have the opportunity to hold little Matthew in our arms, let's thank the Lord for the gift of love that bonds us close enough to others so that when they die we shed tears of grief. And let's consider how horrible life would be if upon the death of someone, we say: "Good riddance!"
b. The promise of eternal life is also a gift of God's grace. Jesus Christ came to this sinful world and went to the cruel cross in order to redeem us from destruction. He rose again to assure us of our eternal home with the Lord. He gave us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that His power is with us in this life and for eternity. When we have the opportunity to hold little Matthew in our arms, let's think about all those who have gone to heaven before him, who will welcome him home! Let's think about how he will be waiting for us when we join him in that eternal home … with his perfect resurrected body!
c. I believe there is at least one more thing the Lord is using Matthew to teach us about death. Even though we never know when it might happen to us, we live each day to the fullest. It's ok to admit that we are uneasy about the doctors prediction of Matthew's death .Yes, it might happen when we are holding him in our arms. It might happen when we are in the same house. But we need to remember that we and everyone around us also live moment by moment. The only earthly time guaranteed to us is this very moment we are living … no more, no less! I could list the many daily risks each one of us faces and could cause us or our loved ones to die suddenly. But you can figure that out for yourself. My point is, we should never allow the possibility of death to rob us of enjoying life now, at this very moment! For that daily gift, Matthew is a good teacher.
Yes, the Lord has given us Matthew for a purpose! Seek and you will find! Donohue Sarff - September 19, 2001