AT THIS TIME WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING GOWNS.  SOUTHERN ILLINOIS HAS

BLESSED US WITH MANY GOWNS AND WE NEED TO CATCH UP WITH THOSE BEFORE

WE CAN ACCEPT ANY MORE.  PLEASE CONSIDER HOLDING ON TO YOUR GOWN

AND WE WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO ACCEPT YOUR DONATIONS AGAIN.

TO DONATE:  Email us tendermerciesfoundation@gmail.com for pickup/drop-off/mailing instructions.

At first he was wrapped in a blanket that was made for a full term baby.  He was a tiny thing swallowed inside.  As she unwrapped the layers away from his tender body I saw him.  I saw his beautiful body.  The beautiful work of God.

She pulled out a tiny solid baby blue gown and hat.  Carefully, slowly and like a new mother might do, she began dressing him so sweetly.  I wondered if you ever become numb to these moments in that profession.  I wonder if takes their breath away like it did mine.  She tied his little gown around his body and put his hat on.  She nestled the tiniest little bear under his arm.  She laid him over a blanket with a warming pad tucked underneath, and wrapped him loosely for his parents to hold again.  All this was for the parents comfort.  Not for him, for his soul was already with God, warm and peaceful as I imagine.

These gowns, so tiny and sweet, they mean so much.  They may not make a mothers eyes sparkle like when they see their daughter dressed on their wedding day, or son in a tuxedo for the first time.  She may not get to use them over and over again to play in and pass down for generations to come.  But they mean the world for some.  It is why you will see women all over the world making these gowns.

Often referred to as angel gowns, or something close to, we started making gowns and followed suit.  At least for a couple weeks.  It was after our first volunteer meeting that Kasey said, “I don’t like calling them angel gowns.”  She continued, “They aren’t angels.”  Disheartened, it sounded so harsh and wrong but Kasey gave us ministry that night.

God does have angels.  They are spiritual beings created by God to be his servants and have been given great authority and power to do his will.  They are among us.  They watch over us.  When we leave this world and our souls enter into heaven we are with God.  We are in fact above the angels in heaven because while he created angels for his will, we were created in his likeness.  So unknowing, we were calling our loved ones angels but they are much greater than that.  We researched and read scripture.  The more we did, the better understanding we had.  It was no question that they would no longer be calling our gowns “angel gowns,” but something true to scripture, God’s word.  It was a long night awake that night but God finally gave Kasey the new name she was searching for.  Lullaby.

Lul-a-by  noun  1.1 a quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul tells us that believers in Christ are asleep in Jesus; that is, their bodies are dead, but their spirits are alive.

From there on we agreed that our gowns will be referred to as “Lullaby Gowns.”  Gowns given to mothers so that they are able to cradle their babies one last time, singing them to a forever sleep.  A goodbye lullaby.