Stephanie

This past Saturday evening a friend of mine (and of Heather, Sara, Ruth, and Abigail) was killed in a car crash in Idaho. She and her husband and their 5 week old baby were hit by a truck that had been racing with another car along the highway. Apparently it was a case of road rage and may have involved alcohol. The truck hit my friend's car going near 100 mph after they pulled out onto the highway, not having seen the truck, and she and her husband were killed instantly. The baby was survived the impact, but died later in the hospital.

I feel totally inadequate to be saying anything about this because I wasn't the best of friends with Stephanie. She was on my wing freshman and half of sophomore year since she graduated that December. This past summer she got married and, obviously, just had a baby as well. She and her family were on their way to a Mother's Day church event and were to come down to our area this Friday for Stephanie's cousin's wedding. Stephanie and her cousin were basically like sisters. Actually, Happy's RA Dan is the one marrying Stephanie's cousin, Katie. I can't even imagine how hard that must be.

The whole situation doesn't seem real, at least it hasn't. Heather and I talked about it for a while last night and today. The Lord is already bringing about fruit from it though. Heather was able to share the gospel with one of her friends from high school and explain why Stephanie's death is a cause to rejoice because she knew Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Right now Stephanie is in eternity praising our Heavenly Father! That is such an amazing thought. So it is a tragic thing, but the Lord has a plan for it all which He is fulfilling. It is most difficult for her family members and close friends. She's got it way better now :-)

I've been thinking a lot, and talking with people about what this is teaching us. For me, I've never known someone my age that has died that I knew for sure went to heaven. It has made me so thankful for each breath that the Lord gives me and every day. Today was one of those weird days after not getting enough sleep and having so much going on in your mind. I felt like a zombie for much of the day. But Stephanie's death has reminded me who I need to be living for. There is no point to all of this life without the Lord and His Son as the central focus. Sometimes I wish I could make people understand, but I know the Holy Spirit does the real work. Still, it makes me want to be more open about my faith. "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).

In the words of Job: "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (1:21).