Fatal Reflections

Tragedy makes a guy reflective.  This past Sunday, as I was getting ready for church, I got a phone call from a friend.

“Brad, it’s me.  Call the paramedics. Christian’s down!”

My friend was in a car accident with three of his four sons.  He was on the way to church. He veered off the road, over corrected, and the car rolled several times.  One boy died instantly.  The two other boys were helicoptered to Pueblo and Colorado Springs.  The dad ended up in the hospital as well.

As the town pastor and a member of the volunteer fire department, I had an interesting role in the day.  I helped strap the dad onto a stretcher.  I prayed over the dead boy (yep, I thought that would have been a great time for a miracle).  I also had the wonderful job of telling the mom that her son did not survive the accident.  (There really is no right way to do that.  It’s just horrible any way you look at it.)  Jodi and I took the mom and the fourth son (both were at home at the time of the accident) to the hospital in Trinidad.  Being a local guy, I drove down some backroads so we could avoid the accident scene on the highway.

Here’s what’s crazy wonderful – on the day before the accident (Valentine’s Day), this couple invited Brody and Brock to their house to play all day long so Jodi and I could have some relaxed time alone.  My boys spent all day playing with the boy who died the next day.

What’s the point in all of this?  Is there a point?  Here are several things I’ve absorbed over this crazy week.

1.  Hug your wife and your kids. A lot.

2.  Help people around you. Look for ways to help them.  Don’t wait for them to ask.

3.  Bad things are going to happen in life. It’s not a matter of “if” – it’s a matter of “when”.  I’m not a doomsday guy at all  (I’m probably too optimistic most of the time).  Here’s the question: is your focus going to be on God before the tragedy strikes, or will it be the tragedy that brings your focus back to God?  I think God lets it happen both ways.  I’d rather choose option A.

What a week.

P.S. Just in case you’re curious, the injured kids and the dad are doing fine.  The family has a strong and real faith in Jesus and they’re doing pretty well at this point.  Pray for them if you have a minute.