The Brevity Of Life

In a four hour span this past Saturday we received news that two completely unrelated people we know had passed away. Superstition says that a third should follow. Thankfully, we are not superstitious or we'd be sleeping with our eyes open.

One of Todd's directors unexpectedly passed away on Friday night. What's so strange is that Todd spent the entire day with this gentleman on Tuesday. From what we understand, he had bronchitis that turned really bad really quickly. He had also developed blood clots in his legs and lungs. A stunned widow and two small children are left to grieve.

One of my former student's fathers passed away last week. When I had Kristen in class three years ago her Dad had "ongoing health problems" that were never specifically named. As it turns out, these unspecified health issues were drug and alcohol related. He overdosed last week and has left a wife and three daughters behind. Not only have they lost their husband and father, they have lost all of their worldly goods because he sold their livelihood to finance his addictions. The funeral was today and I wish I could have been there to give Kristen and her mom and sisters hugs. I share their tears and their frustrations from miles away and am grateful that they are surrounded by many others who are loving on them and helping them through this tragic time.

In Darren's case, his death was unexpected. In Kristen's Dad's case, it was just a mater of time. In both situations there are myriad unanswered questions that no one but God has the answers to. Lord, I pray that both of these families would turn to You in their darkest hours and find the peace that only You can provide. We praise You that You are the giver and taker of life and that Your plan is perfect. Please help these families make sense of Your plan even now and trust You that all things work together for good.