Dear family and friends,
As of today, it’s been nine months…we’ve been without Jud for 9 long months, and we miss him SO much!! To many it may seem as though time has flown by, but each day can still feel like an eternity when we’re itching to be reunited with our “Mr. Man.”
Interestingly, up until the last month, Drake and I felt as though we tended to be in similar stages of our grief, though the emotions affected us at very different times. However, this last month has felt dissimilar. Drake has been experiencing more calm in the waves of grief, while I still feel like I am in large swells. Yet, either way, I perceive we are both getting better at breathing deeply and freely in the midst of our sorrow. Whether the waves are small or large, we’re growing in our ability to ride them.
We have been learning so much about ourselves, our marriage, our gifts, our hopes, and our fears in these last nine months. It is as though losing our son has put a microscope on every facet of life, causing us to inspect and re-evaluate each minute detail. The lens we use to view the world has changed, and everything is affected. We are being encouraged to ask ourselves, “What might God be preparing us for? How might He want to uniquely use our journey? How can we use our experience for the Kingdom?” We want to keep our eyes and hearts open to His leading.
That being said, Drake has decided to start working with the college and young adult ministry at our church and I am going to serve on the teaching team for the women’s Bible study in the Fall. We feel enthusiastic about these roles and are grateful for the opportunity to serve our church community that has loved us so well in our hardship.
Drake is also feeling called to get back to writing his dissertation for his PhD. He has gone through a long season of questioning whether or not He was still feeling called to complete it, but after much soul-searching, he has decided to re-engage this passion. We would covet your prayers as this feels like a very large mountain to climb!!
Christina is also working with the Hunter’s Hope Foundation to compile a video of Judson to raise awareness for Universal Newborn Screening (UNBS). This video will be shown to legislative and policy-making bodies on both state and national levels. UNBS is an important initiative for MANY diseases, not just Krabbe. Most states do not test for several of the recommended diseases, even those that have cures (some requiring a simple change in diet), but instead lead to death. It would be an incredible gift if somewhere down the line, Jud’s story might have an impact in helping a child who would have experienced imminent death, but instead might live a full, vibrant life. We will keep you posted when the final version of the video is available.
We are just thrilled to have this Story Of Judson website and hope that God can continue to be honored through Jud’s and our journey-serving as a genuine testimony of the Lord’s character and faithfulness in suffering. Thank you for passing Jud’s site along to others and sharing his story! If you had posted a link to Christina’s previous blog anywhere on the web, would you consider updating the link to the new site?—This would be a huge help for generating direct traffic to his site (which is important for search engines). We’ve also had requests for a banner link to this site; we will be creating one in the near future, so please email me and let me know if you’d be interested in the HTML code to post a banner link for StoryOfJudson.com on another website. Furthermore, RSS feeds are now available for our updates and blogs if that’s your preference over email notifications.
Some of you have stuck with us, reading our story, praying, crying, and grieving for over a year now. Wow! Your commitment to our family, in just these ways, has provided an undergirding that may not be visible but has been sustaining us in significant ways. Thank you!
There have been many times that my flesh and my heart have certainly failed in the months since Jud’s death, but God has definitely been the strength of my heart and will be my portion forever.—Psalm 73:26
Much love and gratitude,
Christina (on behalf of Drake too)
Hello Christina and Drake,
I have been following your story since October of 2007. I have felt so compelled to keep a close watch on your situation and have prayed for Jud’s recovery and now for your family’s journey without precious Jud here to accompany you. I have a son, just two weeks older than Jud. I have seen him change and grow these last few months and think of Jud. He asks me to play with him when I am extremely busy and Jud pops to my mind and I drop it all and play. I think of Jud in the special little moments I share with Dillon and immediately pray for you, Drake and Jessie. Jud has impacted me as a person and parent and I never take one day for granted with our Dillie-Doo. I am in awe of you and your determination to make Jud’s passing an avenue for hope and change for so many other families suffering from similar situations. I applaude you and will continue to pray for this new journey you are on and where it will take you. Praise God for your faith, it is inspiring to me and all who know you.
Christina,
Through a wonderful little site called Facebook, I reconnected with a UCLA swimming friend, who, it turns out, is married to your brother’s college roommate. I shared a thumbnail sketch Jud’s life and urged her to read it for herself on this website. She was blown away. She and her family are fellow followers (that’s kinda’ fun to say!) of Christ, and they have a renewed spirit of gratitude due to your blogging and updates.
I share this with you b/c I know that you and Drake desire most deeply for God to be glorified throughout this difficult journey. He is indeed glorified. The entire Levasheff family has touched countless hearts and lives across the world, including my own. I continue to be inspired by your candor and honesty. You are in my prayers on a continual basis–thoughts of you and Jud seems to randomly pop into my mind throughout the day. But I know they are not random–God has planted them there for reasons only He knows. Maybe it’s b/c Maggie and Jud were born only weeks apart, and things that I do with Maggie are also things that you should be doing with Jud…it breaks my heart to know that you aren’t doing them… And so I will continue to pray for you as God leads me to.
Your sister in Christ,
Kristy
I have been following your family and your story for several months now. I have held your family up in my prayers, cried many tears as I have read your blogs, and I have re-evaluated my own family life. Your little Judson has transformed the way I view life and has helped me to appreciate each moment I have with my 4 children.
I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands of people praying for you. It would be interesting to get a poll at a given time to see how many people are following you on a regular basis. That might help you through your journey knowing that there are hundreds of people you don’t even know…that love and care about you.
I don’t even remember how I found you, but I am so grateful that the Lord led your family into my our lives. Thank you for sharing your story.
Tonight I happened upon this loving memorial. My husband and I watched your videos together. Near the end, I felt him shudder against my shoulder, my husband, a strong military man, was crying.
You see we have our own little blessing, a 9 month old little boy, and there was something in Jud’s laugh, in his eyes, that reminded us of our little one. We went upstairs early to take our sleeping child out of his bed and bring him into ours, to kiss him and hold him. My husband cried for your little boy, and believe me when I say he is just not a man who cries. He cried for ours too, he was afraid for our son, I told him that we do what we can, but it’s up to God. We have to believe, we have to have faith in God’s plan.
Thank you for sharing Judson with all of us, for sharing your blessing from God with the world. In his eyes I see mysteries, in his eyes I see a kind soul, an old soul, there is a deep love in his eyes. The type of love between a child and a parent, one that is as vast as the universe. I could see peace, and the comfort he very clearly felt while having you near him.
Thank you, for letting Jud live on through your memories, and for spreading the word of the lord. You are truly an inspiration!