Thursday, January 20, 2011

When all you can do is pray.

A friend from high school passed away this morning. I don't know all of the details, but a kid from the youth group called to tell me while I was at the gym after work tonight.

This was a healthy kid, barely out of high school, who played football for several years. And just like that he's gone. He has a younger sister that thinks the world of him.

Nobody expects this! Parents don't prepare for the death of a child.

Why does this happen? Yesterday I was worried about my weight and about my future. Talk about a perspective change-- this could have been me. His birthday is in three days; as if this isn't going to be hard enough on his family.

I wish I were home to attend his funeral, but I will be in Missouri, unfortunately. If you are the praying type, I'd appreciate some prayers directed at his family. He was a Christian, and I am forever grateful for the people in his life that directed him to a decision that has made this news slightly easier to bear. He is in heaven; I have no doubt of that.

Nevertheless, this is going to be a rough time for my home church and the youth group that we "grew up" in.

So, with that in mind, cliche or not, I'm going to live. Life is fleeting. We know this. We hear this. But it's nights like tonight that it becomes painfully real.


2 Corinthians 4:16-15:8

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

5 comments:

Gale said...

i'm sorry for your loss. this is so sad and my prayers go out to his family. it's so true, it's always times like these that put our lives into perspective and make us realize how fleeting it actually is. i know it could be a very helpless feeling. but all we can do is have and keep faith.

that quote you posted is beautiful. i was going through something just tonight and in that quote is exactly all i needed to read. it's actually what i've been trying to tell myself over and over in my head. then i see it in your blog. it's a little bit crazy.

...at this hardest time, i pray that his family can at least be comforted in knowing their son is in heaven.

take care liz :]

Gwiddle said...

That is so sad! I am so sorry for your loss, it is so crazy how fast things happen. I think sometimes they happen to remind us all just how precious life is, and to appreciate every day that we do have. I hope you have a great night, sorry you can't attend his funeral that must be hard. My thoughts are with him and his family

amyschmamey said...

I am so very sorry! Death is such a difficult thing to deal with. Although most people have the hope and faith in Jesus, it kinda softens the blow, but never completely. It's so hard to lose someone. Thoughts going out to his family and friends that are left behind.

la petite lydia said...

I am very sorry for your loss, sweetie. It is never easy to go through this. I will pray for strength for you and that, in your anguish, God will comfort you. I will also pray for his family. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through. Knowing someone is with Jesus makes it a bittersweet time. You're so thankful, yet miss them dearly and want them back.

I am praying.

Liz said...

Thank you, everyone. Seriously. It's nice to have a little "blogging community." :)