Well, we should have been at the Greenbrier until Saturday, but I am writing tonight from home – back in Indiana. That’s because there has been a tragedy – the son of a dear friend was killed in a motorcycle accident early Tuesday morning and we, of course, wanted to come back to lend assistance to our friends as they deal with the death of their only son.
It has been a whirlwind series of events – from checking out of our room yesterday morning to arriving home last evening. Even if our help isn’t needed it was important that we be available. After all, people of faith and the church are the demonstrated outpouring of love and caring as the hands and feet of Christ. It is unfortunate that it usually takes a tragedy for the love and warmth of people to really shine through.
Let’s face it – it is unnatural for children to pre-decease their parents yet this is the circumstance that this family has been dealt. And during the grieving process the whole range of emotions will be present. Denial is followed by anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance and finally, in some models, forgiveness. I remember how my own grandmother felt after our Dad, her youngest son, died. I never realized it at the time but I learned quite a bit from that experience and it has helped me through this most recent tragedy.
The overwhelming question I always get asked to discuss centers on what good can possibly come from such a horrific circumstance. And the answer, quite candidly, is that I don’t really know. In fact, it is not for me, or you, to know. That’s the domain of God. But one thing is for sure – we know that God has a reason for the things that happen and Paul is quite clear when he tells us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
This verse for tonight gives us hope that there is a purpose for the things that seem insurmountable for us as humans. And since we don’t serve an evil God, we can rest assured that even if we don’t understand, God is in control and eventually we will have peace about the choices that God has made for our lives. And let’s not forget that assuming the deceased person is a Christ follower, they are in heaven with the Father. Who wouldn’t want that to happen?
My encouragement this evening is that God wants us to trust Him and put our faith in His choices for our lives. And yes, this is difficult… My prayer is that you take a moment and pray for God’s peace for this unnamed family devastated by this young man’s untimely death. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…