Little James Robinson (January 1892 – December 1894)

I have in my possession a tiny blonde curl belonging to my great uncle – my maternal grandmother’s little brother who died before her in 1894. Many sentimental objects can be discovered when we are clearing a loved ones home after their death, but this one touched me deeply, as my grandmother had passed the framed poem and the curl on to my mother. How amazing to think that he is still being thought of in a year which will be the 130^th anniversary of his death! Above is the poem which the family framed all those years ago and although my grandmother never knew her little brother, as she was born later, in 1896, the story of how he died clearly affected her, as it had left the family so heartbroken.

He had been on my mind recently when I heard news of an outbreak of whooping cough (or pertussis) which has been spreading rapidly in England. This was the disease that little James, the beloved toddler caught months before his death, as a quick check of the internet revealed his death register and “cause of death.” Of course these days antibiotics can kill much of what we may be subjected to today but they didn’t exist back then.

I often wonder what heaven will be like and how we will appear “age wise” but of course “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered in to the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1Cor. 2v9) I believe that I will meet little James, my great uncle in heaven and I have a feeling that “age” will not be like it is here on earth; the fact that he was my great uncle will have no bearing on how we appear to each other, although we may well be aware as to what era in human history we lived through. Those “blood bought” souls will rejoice together in their Saviour, whether they had not reached an age of understanding or whether they had come by faith, in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven, I believe, is full of babies and little children and those who have “come as little children.” I know of people who have had cot deaths and miscarriages and if they don’t know the Lord in this situation how much harder it is! I often wish they could think on the words of the last two verses of a certain old hymn “Looking this Way,” which tells of loved ones waiting in glory for us… Saved loved ones, as well as little children and babies, are already there. Oh that they could see that their little ones are there in heaven and the Saviour longs for them to be reunited!

Sweet little darling, light of the home,
Looking for some one, beckoning come;
Bright as a sunbeam, pure as the dew,
Anxiously looking, mother, for you.

Jesus the Saviour, bright morning star,
Looking for lost ones straying afar;
Hear the glad message, why will you roam?
Jesus is calling, “Sinner, come home.”

Judson W. Van De Venter (1855-1939)

Tags: a biblical journey through the irish year, elizabeth burke, genealogy, god made you god loves you god saves you, hymn, judson w de venter, looking this way, northern ireland, pertussis, ready writer publications, ricky the runaway, singing on the journey home, the robinson family, whooping cough outbreak