Very Sad Situation

I was going to post this earlier but when I didn't feel good but thought I'd post this now. I was saddened to hear of the tragedy in Stephen Curtis Chapman. On Thursday I was driving to work and heard that on Wednesday Stephen lost his 5 year old daughter in a tragic accident. She was hit by her teenage brother as he backed down their driveway.

I can't imagine the loss he and his family must feel. I can't imagine how sad and guiltridden their son must be. This is truly a tragedy.

The memorial service was today...how very sad this is.

Please pray for Stephen and his family as they go through this very rough time in their lives.

Remembering

Our world stood still....we all sucked in our breath and waited to wake up from this nightmare. A friend came over to watch our boy and told us to turn on the TV. It looked like a scene from a bad movie as we tuned in to see the second plane hit. What was happening?! This was no longer an accident, a miscalculation...it was done with deliberation...it was done with hate.

I looked at my little baby...he was just about 8 months old...what kind of world would he know? What was happening around us? Would we ever really know? I hugged him tighter trying to protect him from the evil that was outside. Trying to shelter him somehow, some way from the "real world" where bad things happen for no reason to good people.

I called a good friend who was scheduled to leave that day for London. Where was she? Was she in the air? Was she safe? The lines are busy...please try again...Everyone was trying to call the ones they loved. Finally I heard from her...she was safe...she was in the states....she was at home....she wasn't leaving.

So many people lost their lives that day and the days to come. For what? I guess just so someone could make a point about how much they hated us.

Six years later and it seems like just yesterday that we all walked around a little stunned and kinda in a daze. We saw the people on the news...holding up pictures...searching for loved ones...searching for hope. We came together. We joined together in ways that only tragedy bring. We gathered in the church to offer prayers...prayers in different faiths. We were one if only for a while...if only to help each of us begin to heal.

Six years later and things are pretty much back to "normal." We go through our lives so eager to get quickly from here to there. We don't really pay attention, real attention, to those around us unless they're in our way, we want something, they are close to us.

As we pause to remember, let us pray for love. Love for each other...love that can conquer evil. Let us pray for continued healing. May the rain that fell today remind us of the tears we shed that day six years ago. And may we seek to reach out to one another...in the name of love.

Goodbye Scarfish

Last night was the school carnival. And once again this year our oldest won a fish at one of the games. I remember from my times in school that "pets" won at carnivals and the such do not last very long at all.

Last year's fish, Nemo lasted forever. Maybe it was because we didn't actually "win" him at the carnival but instead "won" a certificate for a free fish. We took our son to the pet store to pick out his prize. Nemo lasted forever...I thought we'd only have him a short time but I think we had him for a few months.

Well, last night we brought home a new member of the family. He was "won" and this year they didn't run out of fish but I have no idea where they got some of these. Our son had this huge goldfish but with a big gash in his tale. So, he named the fish...Scarfish.

This evening we were getting ready for bed and I noticed that Scarfish was doing the backstroke in his bowl. Already?! So, we had this talk about death and the life of fish. I think it could be because he was already injured...I'm expecting a funeral tomorrow...then sometime soon we'll go look for a new fish.

Goodbye Scarfish

So Very Sad

It's been a sad day in our country as students, faculty and friends of Virginia Tech gathered to pay respects to fellow students. It's hard to know what to say after something like this happens...sometimes it's hard to know what is going on in our society...where God is in all of this.

I remember how I felt after Columbine...how sad I felt for those who'd been injured, those who had died way too young.

The Sunday after 9/11 I was scheduled to preach. I remember thinking, "What in the world do you want me to say, God? Where were you? What can I say to let people know you are near?"

The Good News in all of this is that God does walk with us through this valley and will continue to offer us God's presence, grace and love.

Our Prayers are With You

Talking to my parents today, I found out some sad news. I had seen the story on the ticker, but hadn't really read it...then saw it on the news tonight...didn't know it would hit so close to home. Today, early this morning, Bluffton University experienced a devistating loss. While their baseball team was traveling to Florida for a doubleheader they were involved in an accident. Apparent something happened and the bus driver went off the overpass throwing the bus to I-75 below. Four students, the bus driver and his wife were all killed.

Going to school at Ohio Northern not too far from Bluffton I know how close of a community Bluffton is...this loss will be felt not only by the students but also the community. Please keep the family and friends of these students in your prayers.

Loss

Over these past few months but especially over this past week our community has had to face and seek to work in and through loss. Our congregation over these past couple of weeks has lost five members or former members. Most of these came as a surprise, but a few were unexpected.

Some in this community are still working through their loss with the release and publicity of We Are Marshall.

But this week loss was experienced in a different way...fire. Wednesday night, a friend and I were heading to church for worship team rehearsal. I had to make a quick stop along the way and am so glad we did because I think we could've been parked right in the way.

As we drove toward the church, something looked really really bad...there was smoke billowing into the air and you could see a yellow glow. I nervously said, "Well maybe we won't rehearse tonight," thinking, "Wow...it looks like it's coming from the church...but I'm sure it's not."

As we got closer and closer it became clear that it was in the very direction fo the church. I started to get more and more nervous...

As we got close to the church we saw that it was the building across the street. Talk about scarey. I couldn't believe the fire, the smoke, and all of he onlookers who had gathered. So many people were around...crowding around...and many of them were taking pictures...something that I think is kind of morbid. The fire kept flaming up then dying then flaming up again. Finally the firefighters got it out.

The good news is no one was hurt...the building is at least half way destroyed but no one was hurt.

Saturday there was another fire at an apartment building where a lot of Marshall students reside. The building from where we could see it on Sunday looks kinda normal, but this fire was extremely devistating. Nine people have been found dead so far and they are hoping that is all, but they can't be sure. One family lost 3 children...I can't imagine that. How terrible...how sad.

Our prayers go out to those who have lost their loved ones, their place of employment, their belongings and their home.

How Did They Know?

I had a funeral today and while we were riding out to the cemetery I had a very interesting and God filled conversation with one of our senior funeral directors. The gentleman has been in Huntington for quite some time...and was very instrumental when the Marshall plane crash occurred.

We were talking about the new movie and he, as so many others who lived through that time here in town, began to tell me stories about that fateful time. He talked about being called upon to coordinate the funeral directors especially for those persons who were from out of town. He told me how he was one of the main resource people for the movie to make sure they got the funeral scenes correct...they even provided the caskets. And he told me he was instrumental in the placement of the memorial site for those 6 individuals who could not be identified. He talked of a former pastor of our church who recently passed away who was instrumental in coordinating pastoral care for those in grief. And then he told me the following story...

Apparently, the six individuals who could not be identified were brought to his funeral home. The pastor from the church where I now serve was the dedicated pastor to meet with the families of these unidentifiable victims. There is a large room in the back of the funeral home...a viewing room...where they covered the three walls with two caskets each. The families came in one by one. Rev. Wallace took each family around the room...and they were allowed to view each casket for as long as they wanted. Then they would have prayer.

Each of the six families came in. Each of the six families were allowed to walk around the room. Each family was given a chance to say goodbye to their loved one as best as they could. Each family came in one by one...by themselves to say goodbye.

After the families had gone through and traveled back home or wherever they were staying, Al and Bob began to talk. Al asked Bob if he had noticed anything unusual about the viewing that the families had done. Bob said he had noticed something, but wasn't sure if he had really noticed it or if it was in his head.

Both had noticed that as the families came into the room, each family went from casket to casket...and each family, as they did this, paused at one casket longer than at the other five...AND each family paused at a different casket longer than the other five. Six families came to say goodbye to someone they loved...each family stopped at a different casket.

Did they somehow know which one held the one they loved? Did they know something that modern medicine could not figure out? How did they know?

When Bob finished his story all I could say as goosebumps filled my arms was, "Wow...that is amazing...that is so God."

Our Smallest Angel

Yesterday had to be one of the worst days of my life. Not even a month ago, we found out we were pregnant...it was a joyous time filled with hope, dreams and excitement as we awaited our new little arrival. Our hopes began to wane a little last Friday as I began to show early warning signs of losing our baby. At first I thought that maybe with aerobics and VBS and all the other stuff going on last week that I had just overdone it. However, yesterday at the doctor our worst fears were realized. The baby hadn't grown from like 5 weeks and their heart had stopped (or had never started) beating. We were crushed. How do we tell Jake? How do we get through this time.

I don't know how we are to be blessed by this. I did have this repeated thought in my head, "You will help others who experience this type of loss." All the same I kept thinking, "That's nice God, but why do we have to experience this pain?" At the same time there was also this reassurance that there is hope beyond this that new life can occur. But it doesn't help to reduce the bouts of pain and sorrow I feel from time to time.

I look at Jake so differently and feel so blessed to have been blessed with him in our lives. I really realize how lucky we were with him that none of this stuff happened then.

From the time I can remember I have collected angels. Maybe it's because they're beautiful beings that are close to God...I don't know. The picture at the top is one of my favorites which now has a bit of a new meaning to me. My little angel has gone on to be with the angels. And, I believe there is hope beyond the sadness. But for now I'm just holding close to my guys giving thanks to God for allowing me the gift of their presence in my life.