Long Day

Wow. What a day. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions...This morning I got to get all pretty to watch Sarah and TJ get hitched. Hooray! They're such a happy couple. I know they're going to have a great life together.

Almost immediately after Sarah and TJ had driven off with their motorcycle motorcade escorts, my dad got a call that altered the mood of the rest of the day. One of the guys from my church, Zach, who happens to be one of my younger brother's best friends, was killed in a car accident last night. It's one of those pieces of news that you just don't know how to take. It's so tragic and so sad, yet it doesn't seem like it can possibly be real. My family went over to be with his family as soon as we could. Obviously, they're very shaken up. But in spite of the horrible circumstances, I'm amazed to see how much God is in this. For instance, Zach's dad has a job that requires quite a bit of travel, so he's out of town quite often. But he was home today. And his older sister Sara lives in Tennessee with her husband and 13-month-old baby, but she just happened to come to Arlington for the week. She arrived this morning shortly before they got the news. It is definitely a blessing that they were are all together to help each other out. And tonight I realized all over again just how important a church family is. I was overwhelmed at the number of people who dropped everything to be with them as soon as they heard the news. As hard as times like this are, it's comforting to know that we can be a part of a family that's bigger than just our immediate families. A family that's big enough to hold us up when it feels like everything else is falling apart. God is good.

Needless to say, many prayers are needed for Zach's family and friends right now. Pray for peace in the midst of a time of incredible hurt and confusion. Zach was an awesome guy, and he left behind a lot of people who are really going to miss him. Pray also for the families and friends of the 2 other passengers in his car. All 3 were killed on impact. So in addition to all the pain felt here for Zach, there are people feeling the same feelings of pain and loss for his 2 friends. I don't know what happened to the person/people in the other car, but I'm sure prayers for them are needed too. It can be hard to have hope in a situation as devestating as this, but I am confident that God knows what He is doing. He has not left us alone. It's times like this that we need Him the most. He is the only one who can ease the pain.

God, thank you for being a God who is bigger than our hurts. Please be with everyone who is hurting right now. Let us feel your presence and know that you have all things in your hands. It's hard to understand why difficult things like this have to happen, but we trust that you know what you're doing. Thank you for Zach and for the wonderful guy that he was. He blessed so many people's lives, and he will be dearly missed. But we know that he is with you now, and we will see him again one day. Let that knowlege bring peace and hope.