two days from a holiday that i anticipate every year, but news that came today changes things a little bit.
two old friends, brandon & keely trusell were killed last night driving from colorado to fort smith. i went to school all the way through with brandon & had the privilege of playing soccer with keely in high school. they are precious people and are loved by many. it was evident that not only were they siblings, but they were friends. i honestly cannot believe they are gone.
the news came early this morning and as i sat in my parent's kitchen trying to wrap my mind around what the news meant my heart broke for their family. death is not something i really understand. i take great hope in the fact that God grieves far deeper than we do because it wasn't a part of His original plan, but i also struggle with why he allowed an accident like this one to happen. isn't he big enough to prevent it? couldn't he have intervened? it's the reality of God and the reality of our broken world that helps me understand why Job would say, "yet though he slay me, I will hope in Him..." because He is good and because hoping in Him brings the only peace possible in this tragedy.
so it's almost christmas. here i sit again in my parent's kitchen looking at the christmas trees and the presents surrounding them, but i keep thinking about the trusell family & countless other families who face christmas without those they love. it doesn't make sense to me, but i know that the reason we celebrate is also the only reason we can hope. the trees and presents are meaningless. what is not meaningless are the relationships we have and the love of our God. their is great joy & love that comes from doing life with people, which is also why days like today are horrible. we ache for things to be different.
jesus came into this world, birthed by a woman who was like me and like you, he came so that days like today could have some redemption at some point. it doesn't make it easier today. it doesn't mean that i understand why brandon & keely and not me or you, but it does give me the ability to hope in something that will never disappoint.
until all is redeemed, we have the hope & peace of Immanuel-
God with us.
but it's a tough day and sometimes that's all i can say.
2 comments:
I'm so sorry for your loss, Savan. I saw countless facebook posts dedicated to Keely and Brandon but I never knew them. I asked my mom about them last night (told her that Brandon and his wife were killed) and she went on and on about how wonderful Brandon was and how she'd always heard great things about his sister too. I learned later that it was his sister and not a wife that was killed, which made this horrible reality even worse. My heart breaks for their parents. A good friend of mine died several years ago driving home for Christmas and I know his family looks at Christmas each year a little differently than the rest of us. I am praying for their family and all of their friends. And you're exactly right, God IS good and hoping in Him brings the ONLY peace possible in this tragedy. But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.
I do hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and I can't wait to give you a hug on Saturday. It's been way too long.
Thanks you for this, Savannah. My heart has been heavy since yesterday morning, and I've been thinking the exact same things.
Hope to see you over Christmas.
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