See You Later, Jeffrey

By Fran Sandin

When her seventeen-month-old son died, Fran grieved and wrestled with many unanswered questions such as: Is God punishing me? Does God answer prayer? Will I ever get over this? Her book exposes her heartfelt, honest search for answers and shares a moving account of how God brought comfort and hope back into her shattered life, turning tragedy into greater good.

• Language: English
• Publisher: EABooks Publishing
• Release date: Mar 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781953114570

Book preview

See You Later, Jeffrey

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Fran Caffey Sandin

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Copyright ©2021 © 2020, © 2015 by Fran Caffey Sandin

All rights reserved.

The poem 'The Weaver" is available in tract form from the Faith, Prayer, and Tract League, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504. Used by permission.

Heaven Is a Wonderful Place—words and music by O. A. Lambert, © 1958, © renewed 1986 by Sacred Songs (a Div. of Word, Inc.). All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.

A few names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

Unless otherwise indicated, the Scriptures quoted are from the New American Standard Version of The Holy Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.

The Living Bible (TLB) copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Version (KJV) public domain.

Any comments or inquiries, contact the author Fran Sandin, PO Box 8814, Greenville, TX 75404-8814.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Name: Sandin, Fran Caffey

Title: See You Later, Jeffrey / by Fran Caffey Sandin

Identifiers: LCCN: 2022901144

ISBN 9781953114570  Revised Edition

Subjects: 1. Family Relationships/Bereavement, Death, Grief

2. Self-Help/Death, Grief, Bereavement

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Published by EA Books Publishing, a division of

Living Parables of Central Florida, Inc. a 501c3

EABooksPublishing.com

DEDICATION

To my husband, Jim, who lovingly encouraged me in sharing our son’s story.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I’m blessed with a host of friends and relatives. Dear ones, your love and prayers gave me strength through the years to persevere.

I’m thankful for those who challenged me to continue writing: Dr. Bob E. Hamilton, Dr. A. Duane Litfin, Dr. Haddon W. Robinson, Nancy Bahm, Ed Wichern, Cherry Brown, and Linda Gilbert.

I'm also thankful for my efficient typists: Jill Baker, Mildred Campbell, Linda Hare, and Sandy Slack.

Two close friends and fellow writers who aided me in completing the manuscript are Thelma R. Hollingsworth and Linda R. McGinn.

I’m especially grateful to Tyndale House Editor-at-Large Virginia Muir, for her gracious encouragement and support.

I deeply appreciate each one of you. Thank you for caring, for sharing your time and talents, for weeping, and now rejoicing with me.

Isn’t God wonderful?

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.  (Psalm 34:3)

He hath made everything beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Back Story

ONE - Here’s Jeffrey

TWO - One Empty Chair

THREE - Transfer to Dallas

FOUR - Thirty-six Hours

FIVE - Code Blue

SIX - Transfer to Heaven

SEVEN - Going Home

EIGHT  - Heaven: A Real Place

NINE - Is God Punishing Me?

TEN - How Can I Conquer Fear?

ELEVEN - Will I Ever Get Over This?

TWELVE - Should We Adopt?

THIRTEEN - Does God Answer Prayer?

FOURTEEN - Am I Becoming Bitter?

FIFTEEN - How Can God Use This Experience for Good?

NOTES

About the Author

INTRODUCTION

In the days before the twentieth century, death usually occurred in the home. Now the dreadful enemy most often intrudes upon the medical center’s sterile environment. As a young nurse in the hospital, I had occasion to stand alongside families as they faced the sorrow and loss of a loved one. Frightened, lonely, and away from familiar surroundings, the family members I came in contact with seemed to long for a caring touch.

They came with high expectations. With today’s sophisticated technology, they knew that children and young adults rarely die. However, even the most elaborate hospital has no magical cure for the mortality of man. Death is something each of us must eventually face.

This fact became a shocking reality when one day I stood at the hospital bedside, not as a nurse, but as a mother. For the first time, I understood more completely what the grieving families had experienced. I, too, wrestled with the gripping fear of death.

It is not so much what we see and feel with our senses that disturbs us, but the mystery that lies beyond. There are questions to ponder, fears to address, and internal frustrations to resolve. Often it is impossible to verbalize our concerns to others.

That’s why I’m sharing my story. Some of the questions and answers I’ve discovered may be helpful to you or someone you love. If just one person sees life from a new vantage point, then my effort will be worthwhile.

What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, TLB

THE BACK STORY

I never aspired to be a published author, but two years following Jeffrey’s death, I felt the promptings of the Lord to write insights and words of encouragement to others who were struggling with loss.

But Lord, I argued, I’m not a writer.

His still, small voice responded, I AM.

But, Lord, I don’t know how to write a book.

Softly, He replied, I DO.

Despite being a physician’s wife, mother of two, a part-time R.N., church organist, and other activities; I stepped out of my comfort zone, responded in faith, and called my friend, Nancy, an English teacher, who helped me make a simple outline.

One day a week, I painfully and tearfully wrote our story. Reliving it was bittersweet. It took four years and several divinely appointed encouragers to finish the manuscript.

Since I didn’t know what to do with it, I checked out a book at the public library that explained how to submit a manuscript. Revised and typed, the piece was sent to various publishers throughout several years and returned twenty-six times. Then a friend suggested I attend a Christian Writer’s Conference. I did.

Using what I had learned at the conference, I wrote three magazine articles and received acceptances on the first try. That encouraged me to again rewrite the book manuscript. Was my heartfelt message written well enough to attract a publisher’s attention?

My devotional