Dedication
I dedicate this book to my son, Zhang Xian (John Earnest Zhang), our beloved “Little Wheat.”
You walked this earth for only nineteen short months, yet you planted seeds in people's hearts that will not soon be forgotten.
Your smile once brightened hospital rooms. Your quiet presence comforted many who stayed by your side. Your eyes often spoke more than many words could say. Your life, to Mommy and Daddy, was a precious gift from God.
You fell into the ground, not so that we would forget you. Your story remains in love, and it continues to bear fruit in many lives.
You never preached a sermon with words, yet you made me think again about life, suffering, faith, and eternity. Though your life was brief, it left a profound mark on ours.
With this book, I want to record your smile, your breathing, our tears, and our prayers. I also want to record the faith, worship, and struggle along this journey, and the hope we still hold in Christ—the hope of resurrection and reunion.
Today, I cannot write about what my eyes have not seen as though I have already seen it. But in faith, I can entrust you into the hands of the God who is just, loving, and faithful.
I also look forward to that day when Christ makes all things new and raises the dead, when sorrow, crying, and death will all have passed away.
Then, what we hope for will not merely be the restoration of what was lost, but to be with the Lord forever.
May glory be to God the Father, the giver of life, and to our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us and rose again.
Your forever Daddy, Paul Zhang (Zhang Chongzhu)
Written in Indianapolis Spring 2025