Struck a chord

His death has really struck a chord with me.  I guess it is because Ashton is about her son’s age, but I also grieve for them.  I again prayed for the Lord to give them grace, peace, and mercy.  I woke up around 4 a.m. and prayed a lot.  The kids that went to her son’s school came to my mind.  I prayed they would come to the funeral service and hear about Christ and their need for a personal relationship with Jesus.  We may never know the reason for his death, but maybe it was for his classmates to hear about Jesus.

A friend of mine wrote a note to the family on facebook last night.  It was a nice tribute, and it made me cry.  One of the things she said was, “You raised a young man who completed his godly purpose on this earth in only 18 years.  It takes so many of us so many more years to do the same.”  What an amazing statement! 

U What are we doing with our years?  U

 

"Just like that (part II)"

I arrived back at their house around 5:00, and my friend was standing in the front yard talking to our minister of music.  When I hugged her she said, “Can you believe this is happening?”  She has been through so much over the years.  Her mom and dad passed away, and her brother has prostate cancer.  I was quiet and listened as she told me the things her son had done that day, and then she told me the details of the wreck.  Her strength was incredible.  She was so strong.

We went inside and I talked with her for a while.  She was thankful for the family trip they took last summer.   Their trip was for three weeks, and they travelled out West in an RV.  Her son put together a DVD of the trip and added music to it.  They played the DVD while I was there.  I watched part of it, and then talked to other family members before I left.

It was 7:00 when I left, and my husband had already eaten, so I picked some food up for myself and Ashton.  Of course, I wanted to eat with him after going through this whole ordeal, but I had a difficult time sitting at the table without crying.  As I was sitting there, I felt bad that I could hug him and my friend could not hug her son.  I got up from the table and went to the bathroom so I would not cry in front of him.  I made it through dinner with a tear or two, but I don’t think he noticed.

I went to bed early so I could cry.  There gets to be a point where I have to stop crying because my face hurts so much.  I learned to take Tylenol before bed so that my face isn’t killing me the next morning.

"Just like that"

 

“Just like that” were words that came to my mind a few times yesterday.  A friend’s 18 year old son was killed in a wreck Sunday night.  He just graduated this year from high school and was to start college this week.  I did not personally know him, but he was a very smart kid who was talented in the field of technology.  He helped at church and various other places with the lights and sound during productions, and he was very talented with his computer knowledge.

He spent pretty much the whole day at various church functions on Sunday, and that night after taking his girlfriend home, his truck veered off the road, went into a ditch, hit a culvert, overturned, and he suffered fatal injuries.  
 
My husband was telling me this about his death while we were talking on the phone.  I was on a road near their house, so made a U-turn and diverted from my plans.  When I got to their house, there were a lot of people there, but my friend, her husband and their daughter were at the funeral home.  I stayed for short while because I was told it would probably be a very long time before they would be home because they had a lot of decisions to make.

I was originally on my way to help Aunt June for the afternoon before I got the call, so after I left their house, I went to help her.  While Aunt June and I were out running our errands, she needed me to run into the grocery store.  I was about to pass the flower section and stopped in my tracks because the flowers were beautiful, and I wanted to buy some for the family.

I prayed pretty much the whole day for the Lord to give them grace, peace, and mercy. My prayers changed as I was on the way to their house.  I prayed for the Lord to give me abundant strength.  I wanted to be strong for them and did not want to break down and cry.    

My new “job”

Uncle Jim and Aunt June had picked out a nice two bedroom apartment at a retirement facility to live in before he passed away.  Ever since Uncle Jim died, Aunt June needs someone to help care for her because she has Parkinson’s disease. 

One of her daughters asked me if I would like to be a part-time caregiver for her.  There are four of us, and I do whatever she needs me to do.  I take her to the grocery store, shopping, and take her dog to the vet. The two things that are especially designated to me are to do her medicines each week and do her hair.  I kinda think it is funny that I do her hair.  I wash it, blow dry it, and curl it.  I was a tomboy when I was younger, and  I don’t think I have ever used a curling iron in my life!