One Year

There are times in life that I can vividly remember where I was or what I was doing at an exact moment in time. February 11, 2008 is one of those days. This day last year was the day one beautiful 16 year old young woman began her new life with Jesus. She is the daughter of some precious friends of ours.

It was shortly after school was out for the day and it was a cool day with a little bit of drizzle not unlike today....a Monday.....My boys and I drove to Walgreens to get some candy for a cub scout blue/gold banquet and on our way back home Elwood was blocked off with emergency vehicles. My cell phone rings as I approach the intersection of Main and Elm and the voice on the other end gives me the .......News......Shock....Unbelief.....Oh how can this possibly have happened and how can it be true.....

We get home and I call Breck......silence and disbelief.....he's on his way home immediately. I call our Church, the secretary tells me the family is on its way to the Church and others are coming too. I make arrangements for my boys to go to the Cub Scout dinner and when Breck gets home we leave the house in silence. Our hearts are just breaking for this family....this wonderful Godly family who have lead us in Worship numerous times and bible studies and served God in so many ways. How could this have happened to them? I'm not sure that words can really describe how utterly unbelievable all of this was to us. We also know all of the emotions we are feeling can not compare to what our precious friends are experiencing.

We arrived at Church that night and it was full of teenagers mainly but also many adults and the staff of our Church....our Pastor was out of town. We sat in the sanctuary grieving and praying....we sang songs.....a couple of men spoke......but the one that spoke loudest was this little girl's Daddy.........he said "If I can praise God during the good times and say He is good I have to praise Him in the bad and say God is good all the time"........

Their grief has never left me this past year and I have prayed for them most everyday. Today was one of those days that I prayed for them many times through out the day. What do you do for a family that has experienced such deep grief? I pray they have been overwhelmed by God's presence and love for them today! I pray that the hope they have in Christ will continue to sustain them and carry them through this life until they are in the presence of Jesus and are reunited with their precious little girl.

Their faith has resonated volumes this past year as they have continued to lead our church in worship Sunday after Sunday. It overwhelms me to think about the depth of their pain and yet the size of their faith has to be bigger because how else could they continue to face each day. I love them dearly and am so grateful that I have been allowed to walk with them some this past year. I don't understand but I will continue to trust God.

Thank you God that even when our lives are turned upside down and touched by tragedy you are still in control. Thank you for the hope we have in Christ Jesus and the knowledge that this life is not as good as it gets but what awaits us is far greater than we can even imagine! Thank you that L is with you and is even more alive now. I thank you for the life that she lived here and how her faith continues to inspire. Many lives have been changed forever because of her faith. I pray that in the years to come You would continue to reveal to her family the glory her life has brought to You. Please continue to surround this family with your love, peace and comfort!