august 10th.

august 10th is a day that always causes me to have a pit in my stomach. i cry some tears for these girls and i pray for the 1000th time that God would redeem the brokenness of this world.

7 years ago there was a terrible jet skiing accident that took the life of sally and forever changed the lives of her best friends, morgan and megan. these girls were my kampers at k-west the summer of 2005. just 1 month after they left kamp, i got a phone call at k-west from megan saying that the girls had been at the lake in texas that day and there had been an accident. sally had died and morgan was critically injured. i fell to my knees praying for their lives and their hearts. i was only 20 and had only tasted a small bit of the brokenness of this world.

so, i finished up the last day at kamp and drove straight to dallas with a car full of my summer at kamp. i wasn't sure what i could do, but i knew i could go. my heart broke for these 14 year old girls who were faced with the brevity of life and the reality that God gives and God takes, but somehow His name is blessed in both. morgan was the recipient of one miracle after another in the days that followed the accident and she was able to come home really quickly. the days following were filled with celebrating sally's life, eating a lot of wonderful food, watching movies with these girls, and learning that sometimes all we can do is go and be. i will never, ever forget the blessing of being in dallas with morgan and megan. and today, my heart is full because of who they are.

today, morgan is 21, which seems crazy because it doesn't feel that long ago that i was 20 and she was 14. seven years went by too fast. morgan remains one of my favorite people in the world and her story is the reason that i became a counselor. there is something about walking through someone's hell with them and watching beauty arise out of the ashes that solidifies a friendship forever.

today, i am thankful for the beauty found in the ashes.

though i don't understand all of God's ways, i know this. He was good seven years ago and He is good today, in seasons of great joy or great loss. He understands, we don't have to.

to sally, morgan, megan, jordan, and your families: your story changes me and challenges me to love deeply. thank you for the honor of being a part of it.