Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Each one of us has experienced the shock of finding out our child has died. We either heard the news from someone or we ourselves discovered this life altering event. I did not discover my daughter, and I cannot imagine how terribly painful that would be. The trauma of finding your child would add a whole dimension to your grief journey. We on the other hand received a phone call. The most dreaded phone call a parent will ever receive. For some reason as I approach my fifteenth year after my loss, the people who had to make that phone call have been heavy on my heart. Our first responders were my daughter’s youth pastor and his wife. They were with my daughter at camp in the mountains when she suffered an aneurysm.
Little did I know what events were transpiring in their evening as I lay sound asleep tucked in the comfort of my bed. I think of them, knowing they were watching a young girl whom they had grown close to, being taken by helicopter to the local hospital. They then had to make one of the hardest phone calls anyone could make. They had to call my husband and I and inform us of the four hours of mayhem that had taken place in those evening hours. What strain and anxiety must have overcome them as they had to inform us that our daughter was on life support. They too were parents and I know they understood the heartbreak they were soon going to unleash on us. When we finally were able to reach the hospital, the trauma of the day was etched all over their faces. They understood the decision we were soon going to have to make, to remove Katie from life support. Yet even through all this, they were there with us reaching out any way they could. The most important thing they did for us during those early days was keeping us in touch with the most important first responder, the Lord God. They prayed with us continually when we were at a loss for words. They prayed for things we didn’t even know we needed in that time of shock. I will forever be grateful for the kindness and compassion they showed us during this most difficult time. They showed us what the love of God looked like.
Lord, may we take a moment and thank those who reached out to us during this most difficult time. They have no idea how much they helped us during our time of adversity.
