Our reason for gathering this past weekend was the saddest of reasons, but the unconditional love shared by our family is what made the weekend bearable. Tyler’s 22-year-old cousin, Craig Thomas, was killed in an accident at his work early last Wednesday morning. I will never forget that I was sitting in the hospital with Rayleigh when Tyler called to tell me. It was one of those moments when time seemed to stop, because the pain in your heart was unimaginable. In that very moment, a flood of memories hits you. The first thing that came to mind was the first time that I met Craig. We were at Grandma Bome’s, and Tyler and I had just started dating. It was mother’s day, and my first time to “meet the family”. Everyone fixed their plates and I took my seat on a metal glider on Grandma’s front porch / patio. Craig hopped right up beside me, insisting on sitting on the opposite side of me as Tyler, as if he had known me for years. He beamed that irresistible smile at me, and from that moment on, I was hooked. He was absolutely precious. He carried many of Tyler’s traits, so of course, I thought he was amazingly handsome! After our wedding, he told Julie, his stepmom, that he hoped that he could be as lucky as Tyler someday, to find a love like the two of us shared (another of those things I’ll never forget). After hearing his girlfriend’s dad speak at the funeral, I think it is safe to say that he did find that love during his lifetime.
I learned so much about our family’s love and faith this past weekend. It is only through the grace of God that we can find comfort in times like these, and it became so evident to me how He has given us such a loving family to help us overcome any adversity that comes our way. I found myself asking, “Why God? How can this happen? This isn’t supposed to be how it works. Babies don’t die before their parents or grandparents!” Then I imagined my love for my babies (as I know it here on earth) being taken away from me in an instant, and the bond that I watch between the kids and their grandparents, and how Tyler’s Grandma & Grandpa must feel. Tyler’s uncle Wayne, Craig’s dad, has more faith in his little finger than I can pray to have, and this came to the forefront this past weekend. It has carried him through to this point – please pray for him that he will be able to continue to believe in the coming days, months, and years, when I’m sure that his faith will be tested during moments of sorrow and pain, and possibly even anger. He was even so strong to stand up and speak at the funeral, as was Craig’s sister, and he was up there comforting US, telling us that it was ok, because Craig was in a better place now. He said that he imagined that this must have been somewhat how God must have felt watching His own Son die on the cross for us – what faith, and strength, and insight! My love pours out to Wayne’s family, and despite their strength, I ask that if you read my blog, that you please pray for them in the following days!
I am so grateful to have our children – our happy, and sad, and cranky, and laughing, and crying, and running, and jumping, and hyper, and sick and feverish, and whining, and cheering, and huggable, lovable children! Please, if you haven’t today, tell your children that you love them and give them a hug! Teach them to pray and teach them to listen. Take them to church! Teach them to love by example!
I am sorry that this blog entry has been so deep, but I needed this as a part of my healing process. I feel that all of these things are so very important, and I learned so much from this situation, that I felt that it was unfair to keep this lesson only to myself. I hope that love touches each of your hearts in a special way today, just as it has mine in the recent days.
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