Bear Jones Johnson was born in the morning on August 8, 2023. Weighing 10.6 lbs. Sarah labored with Bear for 3 days (Jonah and midwives by her side the entire time) in a home birth setting before going to the hospital to try and get pain relief and rest. On the way to the hospital, Bear’s heart stopped. The reason was unknown.
Sarah was rushed into emergency surgery to try and save Bear’s life. Doctors were unable to revive him. The next three days were spent in the hospital as Jonah and Sarah held their baby and said the most painful farewell a new parent can imagine.
Though Bear did not breathe a single breath outside Sarah’s womb, he is and always will be Jonah and Sarah’s first baby. And they will carry his legacy. His legacy speaks to the goodness of God, who has carried Bear’s family through so much heartbreak and grief.
His death has left a huge hole in Jonah and Sarah’s hearts. But the hope of Heaven has never been more real to them. They fix their eyes on things above now, because that is where one of their treasures is now stored (Matthew 6:19-21)🤎
You are forever in our hearts, Bear. We look forward with hope and joy to the day we get to hold you again and death will be no more.🤎
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You’re with me every day.
Every day Bear I think of you as my key chain reminds me of a grandson I have yet to meet. All of your cousins call me Papa and one day I hope to hear you call me Papa. You’re quite a soul as you have impacted us already. I can only imagine the day we meet. What a day that will be. I do miss you but you’re with me always. Happy Birthday on your number three. I love you sweet boy.
Happy 3rd Birthday My Precious Bear
Bear, I do not know how to put into words the way I long and ache for you. You have always been so loved by me and Jonah, and so many others. You have changed me forever. 3 years ago, my heart experienced the greatest amount of joy and pain I think a human heart can. I beheld your beautiful face while also holding your lifeless body on my chest. I’ve never been the same since that moment. Our Lord has done incredible things to carry me and your dad since then. He has remained faithful to us and we know he will continue to until Jesus returns or He calls us home. So, while we still carry the pain of not having you here, and we still have questions, we know God will sustain us until we are all together on the New Earth. We spent the whole day doing things to honor and carry you in our family. You will always be our first baby. Our first son. I fell asleep last night dreaming about running to you when I see you in Heaven. I often have that vision. You will always be carried in our family. We know God’s goodness and strength is seen in our pain and weakness. so we will keep missing you and trust our hearts to our Good and Faithful Creator. Happy Birthday our sweet little love. 3 years closer to wrapping you in my arms and probably never letting go 🥹🤎 love you forever Bear, see you soon.🤎 Love, Mama
Thinking about Bear today on what would have been his third birthday.
I still remember that day so vividly. Being there with you both at the hospital, seeing you hold Bear, and trying to sit with you in a kind of pain that words could never begin to fix. It remains one of the hardest and most sacred days I have ever experienced. There are some moments in life you never forget, and Bear’s life — however brief — is one of those for me. Three years later, I continue to see the impact of his life through both of you. Jonah, I think Bear would be so proud of his dad. I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside you these last several years as a friend and coworker, and I’ve watched the way you continue to show up, work hard, love Sarah, care for Brody, and faithfully carry the responsibility God has given you. I know there are days when carrying both grief and responsibility has probably felt heavier than most people can see. Sarah, I also hope you know how much your love for Bear continues to honor him. A mother never stops being a mother to her child, and his place in your family can never be replaced or forgotten. Bear’s life was incredibly short, but it was not insignificant. He was deeply loved. He changed all of us who were close enough to witness his life and his loss. And most importantly, we have the hope that his story did not end in that hospital room. I’m grateful that because of Jesus, today is not simply a reminder of what should have been. It is also a reminder that there is a day coming when death will be no more, every tear will be wiped away, and what was painfully separated here will be restored forever. Happy 3rd birthday, Bear. You are loved, you are remembered, and your life continues to matter. Love you guys and remembering him with you today.
happy birthday sweet bear!
Happy birthday sweet Bear! A beautiful boy that was the perfect cross between your mama and dad. it was so hard to pinpoint who you favored more when I first met you! very similar to your sweet baby brother Brody— a beautiful hybrid of your beautiful parents! I cannot wait for your sweet reunion with your mom and dad one day. Your brief and sweet life has changed them forever, and watching them walk through the darkest of days has changed me forever. Watching them trust, depend on, be in awe of and revere our Creator has helped me see more clearly who God is and love Him more. Your life story Bear has not been one that instills fear of losing my loved ones, but it has planted in me the fear of God— He is the author of life! (Psalm 33:8) I bow to his authority and righteousness, although I may not understand. And I bring to him my sorrows and questions, and trust Him still. I’ve learned this from your parents. and the gift of your life is that I am constantly pointed to my Lord and savior when I think of you. Either out of desperation in lamenting you not being here to complete your family or out of thankfulness for how your brief life has brought God glory and continues to bring him glory. I look forward to the day I can wrap my arms around you in heaven Bear, and tell you the endless stories of how you changed Gods kingdom here on earth just by being you and by being loved by those around you. We love you Bear! - The Ellards
Without even knowing…
Dear Bear, Happy Birthday sweet boy. Though we have never met, I am so proud to be your aunt. Another year has passed in loving memory of you and there’s a few things I wish I could tell you: Human beings are amazing. God is the expert crafter and it’s amazing how much love He made us to be capable of. Even though you are not with us here on Earth- you are loved to endless capabilities by your family and friends. That is amazing! Our God has blessed us with such complex, big, and beautiful emotional connections to share with people we have yet to meet. And that in turn reveals how much greater is the love of our Father in heaven. When we meet you there, it will be like no time at all has passed. Our love is here now, and it will be there with you then, always. I love you Bear. I’m grateful God made you part of our family.
Happy 3rd Birthday, Sweet Bear!
3. It’s hard to believe you are 3 years old! When thinking about you on this birthday morning, I thought of the significance of the number three in scripture—how it represents perfection and completion. How the significance of the death and resurrection of Christ in three days time reminds me today of your mommy and daddy’s death and resurrection as well. When you went to be with Jesus, cute cheeky boy, your mommy and daddy died, too. At least a part of them did, rather. They love you so much and in that moment of losing you here on earth, all felt lost. And yet, look at what the Lord has done! He has faithfully shown up in kindness and goodness each day for these last three years, and I’ve had the pleasure of seeing your amazing parents cling to him and come back to life—life abundant and deep and rich. Eyes pointed to Heaven, surrender to His plans and resting in His promises. Your mama has lead other mamas, carrying their pain alongside her own, helping them, too, see that resurrection is right around the corner. Thank you, Bear, for your amazing and sweet life that has pointed us all to Jesus. Your mommy and daddy and little brother Brody are all so proud of you, and so is your bonus aunt Sam. I can’t wait to meet you one day, but fair warning I am going to kiss and squeeze your cheeks. Happy birthday, Bear Jones Johnson. You are forever loved and held in our hearts. 🤎
Psalm 23:4
Sweet Bear, The Lord gave me an opportunity to share a piece of your story with our youth group last night. We were talking about the various valleys we’ll face in this life and how everyone has a darkest one. For Jesus, it was his crucifixion. For Jonah, it was crying out to the Lord from the depths of the sea, from inside the belly of a fish. For John the Baptist, it was his imprisonment and beheading. For Peter, I think his darkest valley was when he denied Christ 3 times. For David, it was being confronted of his sexual sin and murder. And for you… yours was being separated from your parents after only a few days of being held in their arms. I shared how even in the darkest valley, God is with us. “For you are with me (Psalm 23:4). You were immediately with God and God was with your parents. I witnessed God’s faithfulness to you and your parents in the following months that came afterwards. How the Lord covered hospital bills, funeral costs, countless meals, even down to the littlest of things like contact solution for your dad. He brought near friends and family, and so many churches came to surround your parents with love and prayer and consistent support. It was the MOST I have ever witnessed the Lord at work. And I couldn’t keep up with how much He was doing for your family. And there was no way your parents could keep track of all these blessings and gifts either. Isn’t God the most lavish giver?? You were here for such a short time, for reasons we will not fully understand until we see you again on the New Earth, and yet your story has forever become a part of His story, the greatest story of Earth. Rest in perfect peace my sweet nephew. I long to hold you and see those chubby cheeks of yours again soon. But most of all, I long to see you made new, and your parents holding you with a JOY instead of a sorrow. I long to see them with their hearts whole like never before.
To our dear Bear,
From the moment we found out about you, our hearts were filled with joy and excitement. We knew you were loved by God already, and we knew you would be surrounded by a love so very deep and profound by your family, as well. But then the day you were born, our hearts were crushed when we found out that your time here with us, was not meant to be. Oh how that hurt. We wanted to get to know you. We would have loved to watch you grow, run, and laugh. Even though you never opened your eyes on this side of heaven, you captured the hearts of our family forever. Bear, you are deeply loved and missed every single day. We look forward to that day in heaven, when we can finally see you and hold you. We love you so very much. G’pa and G’ma Psalm 139: 13, 16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…..Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Sweet Nephew
We love and miss you so much, baby Bear. Happy 3rd heavenly birthday (tomorrow). We will have so many parties to catch up on when we all join you someday. ❤️
Forever
I can’t wait to get to know you one day! It seems like forever from now but I eagerly await our meeting on the other side of forever. Bear, you are in our hearts and thoughts constantly.
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