Here is the email I got from my mom tonight. I picked this one because it is NOT special. It is like every email she sends. Some of you wonder how we make it through what we are going through...here is part of it. We have a trust in God that is unwavering, but we have a family all around that holds us up. My hope in showing you this is not that you will think "Oh, isn't that nice that he has a nice mom?"...it is the hope that it will inspire you to be this for your kids as they grow up. That's what these regular interactions with my mother do for me...they inspire me to be better...
Hi Josh! Hi Lisa!
Just wanted to say that there were about a zillion people today at Northland who came up to Pop and/or me and went on and on about how Ava changed their lives, their friends lives and the lives of people who know people who know people who’s lives she impacted (the chains of some of the relationships people were trying to explain was four or five people long!) Seriously, Ava is having incredible influence on so many people it is hard to fathom it all!
Just one example: This lady who goes to Northland and works in a live-in rehab center said this one lady there has severe MS and her son has been mad at God for 20 years (he’s 38 now). This Northland woman always puts on the Northland service for the MS lady when she goes over to help there and mid = week this week when she was over there she put on Ava’s memorial service because the lady wanted to “watch Northland.” Well, as it was starting, her 38 year old son came in and was going to turn it off and his mom said “no, leave it.” So he did but wasn’t too happy about being there to visit and her watching the service. Anyway, the Northland lady said that when Ava came on and sang the opening to that first worship song, he stared and the screen and hardly blinked for the rest of the service. At the end he was teary and said “Maybe God really is up there somewhere.” He wrote down Northland’s site address and told the Northland helper lady he was going to tune into worship this weekend! And he did!! He left a message with the online pastor that he was going to show up next weekend and that he hadn’t been in church since he was in high school! How amazing is that?!!
And there was story after story like that. People watching the service at their desks in offices and co-workers who aren’t believers and who don’t know any of us and never met Ava watching the service from beginning to end and carrying on conversations about faith throughout the past week because of what they saw and heard; One lady told me she was in her car to come to the memorial service and the car wouldn’t start so she went in her house, called a towing company, and starting watching the service online. When the tow truck driver arrived he got everything all hooked up and she walked outside with her laptop, told him what she was watching and that it would be over soon so she would just meet him at the garage. She said he looked at the screen and ended up standing there with her in her driveway watching the last fifteen minutes of the service and then asking her about her church!
It’s all just so incredible! Ava is blessing the world every day, even now. I am so grateful to God for her; for you; for Noah. What a witness—what a team. I love you guys soooo much.
I hope you rest well tonight and that tomorrow will be filled up with blessings.
With much gratitude and great respect,
Mom
Driving- well, sitting while Dante is driving- home from Georgia. I usually read and just pray but you know I HAVE to comment on this one. Actually maybe I don't. You know I agree with everything amazing there is to say about your mom. And it's no wonder you all are how you are, given that opinion of her! Thank you for this peek. What a gift to mothers, you are right! Love you all, M
ReplyDeleteJosh, after a Monday night service a few months ago, I was feeling very sad after your Pop spoke about the responsibilties of parents to keep their children close to God. I felt as if I had been failing my son by letting his relationship with God slide; I left the sanctuary in tears and needing help for my son.
ReplyDeleteThe person that I saw first was your mom... and we had never met, much less had a conversation. Sadness was heavy on my soul and the Lord said to me, "Go ahead, tell Becky what's in your heart and she'll know how to guide you." I'm sure that she was overwhelmed because everything just flowed from my lips, but she just clasped my hand and told me to wait where I was. She grabbed the business card of one of Northland's counseling staff and urged me to set up an appointment--that he could help me.
I finally spoke to the counselor about the trials in my life right now and will continue, but that moment and your mother's kindness to a fellow Christian have inspired me to 'pay it forward' to others as often as I can.
thank you for sharing, your daughter has touched so many lives....and .she will continue to!!! Your MOM is amazing,!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYour family is such an inspiration to us. You all are the real deal - living what you believe, and loving others well, especially each other. It is evident that mutual respect runs deep in the Hunter family - love how you honor one another. Thanks for honoring your mom in posting this tonight - she is such a special lady (and a lady in every sense of the word). So cool to hear how Ava is touching so many lives. Praying for you all!
ReplyDeleteI just adore your family! I did not grow up in a family like that, and I have vowed that, with God's help, my family will be different than what I had. I love to see that there are families where, despite difficulties and challenges, the family seems to genuinely ENJOY each other. Reading about families like yours helps me to believe it isn't just a "pipe dream" to truly enjoy one's family. I truly enjoy my husband and children, and I never want that to stop.
ReplyDeleteJust Awesome !!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this Josh. Your mom has blessed me with encouragement like that for my entire life. She's amazing and you honored her with this post. Well done. You are a fine son.
ReplyDeleteDear Josh,
ReplyDeleteYou really do have a wonderful and special mother. Can you imagine what the world would be like today if everyone had a mom like yours?? I was also blessed to have a terrific mother who is up in heaven with Ava. She just loved little children and I have always pictured her up in heaven being a care giver. I hope she has crossed paths with Ava. My prayers continue for you, Lisa, Noah and your wonderul family who have blessed us all. Blessings and peace to you all.
Josh thanks for sharing your note. God is going to bless each of you beyond any of your dreams. Ava came to your family but left the world belonging to all of us.
ReplyDeleteGod will honor your faith and trust in Him Looking forward to great and mighty deeds in all your lives Love you Grace.
Thank you for this post. As a mom, it was so encouraging. God has richly blessed you with your parents. I pray that my children always sense this encouragement from me as they grow up.
ReplyDeleteI want to share this story with you. On Friday morning, I was running as part of my training for the St. Jude marathon in TN in December. I signed up for this race in early June and it took on new meaning for me when Ava was diagnosed later that month. I needed a personal goal to work toward and having lost my dad to GBM and sister to breast cancer at relatively young ages AND being a mom and not being able to fathom a child battling cancer made this race the one for me (sorry for that major run on sentence...hope it made sense!). I was running a typical run on Friday morning when I was hit by a car. The trooper who came upon the scene said he thought I was killed upon impact. But, I wasn't. I sit here typing from ORMC where I'm in pretty bad shape but I'm going to be okay with a long road ahead of me. Someone was watching out for me. Maybe it was Ava :) All I do know is that I am grateful that my children still have their mommy and I am so appreciative that Ava impacted my life and is making my recovery meaningful in a special way. Praise God for both of those blessings.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for continuing to share your heart through these journal entries. Your whole family means the world to our family.
Always praying...always believing...even if I am really banged up with a few breaks!
Just as Ava so beautifully sang......MY GOD IS SO GREAT, SO STRONG AND SO MIGHTY, THERE'S NOTHING MY GOD CANNOT DO!!!!! love love love your family!
ReplyDeleteTo add to your list: I co-lead a Bible study in a suburb of Boston. We are studying the attributes of God, and tomorrowI have the first lesson, I AM. It will include many quotes and thoughts from Ava's beautiful service.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you all as you have blessed so many,
Diane Jones
If everyone had a mama like yours, this world would be much better off. What a sweet woman and a loving mother you have.
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Angela Gable
I've been following your story and your blog from the UK for about the last 8 weeks, as we have relatives in your church. You guys inspire and challenge me so much, yet I feel so blessed and encouraged at the same time.
ReplyDeleteMy Mum died from cancer two years ago tomorrow, and at times I find it so hard not to question God's wisdom! Yet, your last two posts have helped me to walk a little bit further along the way :-)
I had an awesome sunny coastal walk with 2 of my 3 little girls last weekend and had my first good chat to my Mum in ages. You've reminded me that God is taking care of her so much, but that he has surrounded me with amazing people who are walking alongside me, as your Mum is for you. Thank you! We're all praying for you guys,
Suzanne, North Wales, UK
Josh, You have an AMAZING mom! I too could tell you stories of how God is using your Sweet little Ava in my small circle of friends! Some of my sons friends startied to go to church believe it or not there is a family in South Carolina in much need of God they too lost a 5yr old little girl to the cancer monster in Feb. of this year. Now they worship on line and have a new found peace and understanding. I could go on and on but thank you so much for sharing your private life with us! Sometimes if we all would do that I think we would make more of a direct impact on peoples live as your family has...Blessings and prayers always. Cindy Miller
ReplyDeleteJosh, thank you for forwarding the email from you mom. thank you for your words of love, respect and admiration for her. i truly strive to follow Jesus like she does and to show Jesus to my boys like she did and continues to do with all of you. she has blessed me by sharing a bit of time with me one day last year. i cannot tell you how much i lean on those words and now how much i lean on your words too. we continue to be blessed by your family! love, the penthouse
ReplyDeleteHi Josh, I saw your Mom last night and was finally able to hug her for the first time since HunterVision open house. Ava has affected millions of lives around the world and Praise God for all these stories. But I want to tell you that I know there are alot of untold stories of hearts that are being softened and pulled back to the Lord because of Ava and your family too. And Pastor Joel who is on a diversion right now from the regular teaching series, is an extention of this masterpiece plan of the LORD'S. His teachings the last two weeks have been SOO powerful. So I thank you, Lisa, Noah, Pastor Joel, Becky and the rest of the Hunter clan for sharing your story in order for God to use it for His benefit. But most of all I thank God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ for his Love, faith and hope. We continue to pray for your family. Cindy Lehn
ReplyDeleteWOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful God we serve and he knew from the beginning we needed mother's and he gave you the Best! We as mother's know how much influence we have in the lives of our children and those around us. We know we are called and chosen and those of us that rise up to the occasion will do our Best to Honor God and raise our families! It is wonderful to have Leader's like your Mother and your Father and someone we can all look up to and lead us closer to the Lord! There is nothing more precious than a "Letter from Mom" and we thank you for sharing something so personal with all of us as you have this entire journey! Everyday I think of Ava and how she continues to change the world we are still in! She was so brave, a true warrior and champion she gave us all courage we did not know we even had in us! Ava, Lisa and your Dad taught us to let go of Fear in a big way! There will be story after story of changed lives over the short life of Ava! Not only do you have a book from your journal but the new book " Ava's Story" was started and is still being written daily as well as Ava touches the hearts of God's people! What a wonderful Cloud of Witnesses and how thankful we are that Ava is a Leader there too! Kiss your mother often she is worthy of praise and her love is unending and inspiring to all!
ReplyDeleteOn Christ the Solid Rock we Stand!
Lisa & Jim Hughes Marissa Crismon
You guys are simply amazing!!!!! God bless all of you!!!
ReplyDeleteI want to be a great parent. I find it easier when I can get honest glimpses into other families. Your family has always been great at that. Everyone has ups and downs and we can learn from each other during both. I appreciate that your mom and dad have always very respectfully shared stories about your family to help us all in our journeys. The openness you have shared through Ava has been a true blessing. And what a great son you are, to give back that same respect in choosing an email to share from your mom. Though you all must have faults, the fabric you have woven as a family is a beautiful tapestry. Thank you so much for so openly sharing it with us all. MY children will certainly benefit from this time I "share" with you all.
ReplyDeleteFirst I want to say that im VERY sorry for your loss and that I commend you and your family for your strength and faith in God through this time of your lives. I want to tell you that Ava has changed my life! I have always believed in God and I have been attending Northland off and on for 13 yrs but I have not FULLY served God the way I should. When I heard about Ava being sick I prayed for her and your family. When i heard about her passing away I cried and I didnt understand why untill I watched her service and followed your blogs and watched Northlands online worship that you and your family totally put it in perspective for me on why things like this happen! This has been such a life changing experience for me!I never really grew up knowing about the bible I just always believed in God and that he exsisted.But now I get it and all I want to do is worship him and I have finally gave the Lord every bit of me not just part of me! I have a 3 yr old daughter and 4 month old son and I dont want them growing up not knowing Jesus and how wonder and beautiful he is! Ava is such an Angel and she will always be in my heart! I want to thank you so much for letting me be a part of your journey with her through this vulnerable precious time for you. God bless you and your family and I will continue to keep you all in my prayers! Also I hope you have a wonderful time hunting!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Ashley Dow
Josh, I can't tell you how much your blogs have helped me with my walk with God. Ever since your first blog on Ava, my life was changed. I have never, ever prayed so hard for a person as I did for Ava. I prayed, got on my knees and prayed and prayed. When Ava passed away, it would have been so easy for me to be mad at God, but because of the example you and your family portrayed, I could't be mad. If you all weren't mad, how could I be. As I sat at Ava's Memorial Service, You, Lisa, Noah and your Pop helped me understand God's love. It really changed me as a child of God. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your blogs everyday. Its like having a good friend that's helping me walk the walk. Today, the email from your Mom was incredible. She is a beautiful women of God. You are so blessed to have her; as she is to have you. You are truly blessed with a wonderful family.
Thank you Josh for your honesty and letting us be a part of your families journey. Please don't stop. May God continue to bless you and your beautiful family.
Your mom is a wonderful woman of God. I love her!
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful that you have your Mom! Being a mom myself it is so hard if your children hurt, as mom you hurt even more--and grandchildren, you love your children but your grandchildren the love is overwhelming. May God continually bless you, wrap His arms around you. Ava has touch lives beyond comprehension, Know my prayers are flowing for you and your family constantly!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for your loss of such a precious angel Ava. She will have a special place in my heart forever. You are so blessed to have a special family. I was cured of a brain tumor 5 years ago, when God healed me, when no doctor could help me. I thank God everyday for letting me be around for my children and family . Time and Faith in God is so precious. Ava has touched so many lives. I will continue to pray for your family. Your father gives amazing sermons. God bless you and live every day with God holding your hand.
ReplyDelete