We experienced a tragedy this week that has rocked our
entire community. To be honest, of all
the terrible scenarios I have allowed
myself to imagine could happen here, this was never one of them. If you follow the news you are aware of the
unique and tragic event that occurred in my city and among some of our friends
here. I don’t want to focus on the
details of the event itself, as those details have been playing over and over
in the news, in friends conversations and in my mind enough already. However, I do want to focus on some of the aftershock
of this event.
Everyone grieves and deals with loss in their own, personal
way. Many of our local friends who are
not even connected to the man who was killed have been thrown into a time of
questioning. Death is something that can
be confusing for all, but it seems to be particularly hard on people here. Many people are wanting to blame someone,
unfortunately most of which seems to be
primarily falling on the family of the boy, at this time. We keep telling our friends that blaming doesn’t
help. Dozens of our friends have called
us to offer condolences and to tell us how much the event abhors them. We love how the people here come together in
a time of mourning. We are feeling very
loved and supported and hope that those closest to the man and the boy do as
well.
The whole thing has been surreal to me. I find myself thinking a lot about the fragility
of life; how this man, who was only in his early 30’s, I’m sure woke up as
usual that day, got ready and went to school with thoughts of what the day
would hold and maybe even plans for the coming days and into the future. However, within a few moments everything was
over. His story on this earth was
finished. These thoughts are fortunately
overshadowed by the realization that he isn’t just in the cliché “better place,”
but that he is resting right now in the presence of our glorious Savior. It is a weird feeling to both grieve over the
loss of someone who was investing in the people here in such beautiful and meaningful
ways, but to rejoice with him that he is in a place where the challenges and
pain of this world can no longer touch him.
I hurt, however, for the many people I know here who don’t know that they
can rejoice with him, but who grieve for him as over something that is lost to
them forever. I hurt for a way to help
them heal….
I wish I had a firm direction to take this blog. My brain has been in a place of stupor these
past few days as I struggle with the event that occurred and how to process
it. This is part of the experiences we
have on this earth; this is real life in action that cannot be avoided or
ignored. A friend the other day read
this passage from Hebrews 12: See to it
that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused
him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him
who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he
has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing
of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may
remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let
us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our
“God is a consuming fire.” So
we are finding peace in knowing that through this God is shaking the things in
this life that can fall away, but that HE, the unshakable, remains with us and
will use this for His glory.
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