Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tragedy Brings Focus

"I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." -- John 16:20

I headed to Jasper before the sun came up. Another day on the road. Not much traffic driving up. That changed dramatically by the time I headed up the entrance ramp to I-65 and turned toward home. I was surrounded by vehicles with mostly out-of-state tags. I noticed that Indiana was particularly well represented. The beach was beckoning.

I stopped at a service station for more gas and caffeine on the way back. I stood in line in the ladies room with several wonderful folks. A young woman, obviously newly suntanned, was from Indiana. We joked about the snow that awaited her as she headed home.

A few hours later traffic on the interstate I had just recently traveled was at a standstill. A young man from Troy was driving south. His car left its lane, crossed the median and hit another car. The man was only 21 when he died. The car he hit was from Indiana. It carried four 18-year-olds. They were headed home from the beach. And I pray they made it, even though it wasn't the home they'd planned for just yet.

Another car carrying a mother and her two children was hit. Reports said they sufferered physically non-life threatening injuries. They'll no doubt carry the emotional scars forever. A near miss. A second chance. A horrifying reminder that life on earth can end in an instant. Those who saw the accident happen likely learned the same.

How do you comfort grieving parents? How do you find words to explain a moment that changed so many lives forever? How do you show people God's love and mercy amid so much anguish? I am reminded of the time when Jesus returned to find his good friend Lazarus dead. Jesus didn't offer any profound words, though he would later return Lazarus to life. No. Jesus wept. That's what the Bible tells us. Jesus wept.

And so will all those who knew the five young men who died. They will grieve and question and plead for answers that won't come. Because some things are beyond anything we can understand. But what we do know, what tragedy reminds us, is that our time on this earth is limited. None of us know when our last moment will be. It is so important to know Jesus, to make sure all those around you know Him. Eternal life is waiting. We just don't know when.

So give people you love your time and attention. Do the things you always mean to do but never find the time. Enjoy the moment as well as the day. Show kindness and gratitude. Plant seeds of goodness wherever you go. Leave behind a garden of beauty that shows people Jesus' light when you make that last trip home.