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16 years old, strong, energetic (mostly… he is a teen-ager!) 🙂 Parents who love him, a baby sister who might admit to that, family and friends. Life is full of potential and goodness, despite anything that might try to dampen that… life is good.
And then it ends.
Some friends of ours just lost their 16-yr old son to a hunting accident. He was with some friends in Alaska, visiting his Uncle, and details are not completely known as of yet, but those are not so important as a life cut short.
I can not imagine the pain of losing a child. I have three so far, and we are hoping for more, and I hope that God lets me see them live a great life full of loving people and serving him. To see that cut short (even knowing the joy of being with Jesus is the alternative) has just got to be super hard.
Somehow death and severe hardship have not touched my family. Jen’s brother died shortly after we were married… that is as close as I have come. God has somehow protected my family as a whole. That is cool… but maybe not?
“Consider it pure joy… when you face trials of many kinds” – James 1:2
Hard things in life WILL come, and God wants us to accept them as tools to shape us, and tools for Him to use for His Kingdom around us… and just as a way to understand our need for and to deepen our trust in Him.
It is also quite clear in Scripture that while it is a blessing to live a long full life here in this life, this is not the end, and there is much more and much better life to come. So enjoy this life to the full (Jn 10:10) but know that there is something much, much better. (Too many references, but Titus 1:2, 3:7)
So, I am quite saddedened at hearing of the death of our friends’ son. Yet, I know God will bring good from this for those who love him (Rom 8:28). And I know that there is hope of something much better for those who are in Jesus. And this family is.
There is no certainty of our next day, or moment or even our next breath. But live life to its fullest, live it with your Creator, live if for him, and things will go well for you. No matter what it looks like on the outside.
“Now this is eternal life: to know you the One true God and Jesus Christ whom you sent.” – John 17:3 (said by Jesus)
That’s it. This life WILL end – we don’t know when… BUT, we KNOW eternal life is knowing God – living it with him.
Let’s do it.