My cousin's family lost their 18-year-old son and brother in a tragic car accident this morning. All day long since I heard the news I've been walking in a different world. I can't stop thinking about how much sorrow they must feel, even with the knowledge of God's eternal plan. It is especially difficult to wrap our perspective around life and death when someone so young is taken so suddenly - no time for goodbyes. Even when you have a firm faith that you'll be together again in eternity, this life is so...mortal. Death seems so final and painful. And since we don't know how long it will be until we pass through death's gate, it feels like it will be forever until we see our loved one again.
It is a shame that it takes a tragedy to make me seek perspective, but today I have loved my wife and sons more deeply. I will be reaching out to my cousins over the next few days and through the holidays, as the funeral services are conducted, and loving them more deeply as well. They have been so supportive of my family - always there for family events.
As I thought about the life of this 18-year-old young man, I daydreamed about sitting with him on the back deck of another cousin's house not too long ago, talking about life in general and considering what the future held in store. Like most boys that age, he came across initially with that distant attitude - kind of a shy version of James Dean. But the more we talked, the more depth I could see in his views. He had the same wonderful hopes, dreams, longings, yearnings, that all of us "boys" pass through as we go down the road toward manhood.
I like the words of John Eldredge - "...in the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue." Thanks to God in Heaven for that desperate desire - it makes life wonderful.
So, to my cousin's family - I love you so much., and I am so sorry for your loss. Thank you for blessing our lives every chance you get.
And to Neal - I will miss you very much. God be with us all 'til we meet again.
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1 comment:
That really is so heartbreaking.
I didn't know Neal personally, but I knew of him.
I'm so sorry.
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