Where do I start this morning? So much happened and is happening. So much to say but not sure how to or what to. I’ll start with the great, go to the good, and then finish with the heartbreak.
First, the great. Today, June 16th, is my 52nd anniversary. In June of 1973 we were two soon-to-be-seniors in college. I pursuing and B.S. in Pastoral Ministry and Jo pursuing (so her mother jokingly said) her Mrs Degree. It wasn’t true, of course. Jo had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. She has stayed out a year after graduating from high school and worked at McDonald’s in Sandusky, OH. It was at the beginning of the causeway entrance to Cedar Point and there were no seats for inside dining. Yeah…it was that long ago. 🙂 We had our first date as freshman near the end of the school year after spending that whole school year with about 8 others exploring caves, eating pizza, and just hanging out together. I wish I could say that date turned out well. It didn’t. But eventually the ship was righted and we got married between our junior and senior year. We have been to a lot of churches (8 in all), with the one I’m currently serving for the last 19+ years. We have also seen a lot of water under the bridge-both good and bad. She recently said she would do it all again. Guess I must have done something right. 🙂
Second, the good. Last week we had a chance to watch our grandson play baseball and have 2 exceptional games. The third game he pinch ran for someone because the coach wanted to give some other guys a chance to play. We have one more chance to watch him play in July before he attends Ohio State this Fall.
Third, is the heartbreak. We were sleeping Friday night when I got a phone call about someone who was thought to be in an accident. After making a call to the local Sheriff (I am the chaplain for the department) it was confirmed that she did, in fact, lose her life in a two-car head on collision. The young lady’s family is like family to us and so after a fitful night’s sleep, we made our way home on Saturday. Nothing prepares you for the heartache of losing someone you love-whether sudden like this or slowly. No cliches are fitting (or should be said). The hope I and others have is she was a follower of Christ. Her mom sent a poem she wrote (I don’t know when) where she talked about the better eternity (heaven). It was a moving poem, one I wish others could hear. Maybe some day, with her mom’s permission, I can post it here. No witnesses. No survivors. We may never know what happened. But the ONE who knows all, and the ONE who held her hand at the end, welcomed her into His presence. I kept thinking: “Man knows not his time.”
Life is like a box of chocolates, as Forrest Gump used to say. Full of surprises, twists and turns. I experienced that this weekend. Thanks for listening.
