I have very dear friends that are this week memorializing the death of their precious first born son. Their son was taken while just barely out of his teens. I cannot, still to this day, imagine the pain these wonderful parents have endured. Indeed, when I think about it, my mind invariable wanders to my own two sons, and my tears begin to flow at the very thought that they might one day die before me. I have known this couple for some twenty years. My husband and I met them at a church we no longer attend. Of all the gifts we were given while members of this congregation… spiritual growth, Biblical teaching, and fellowship with others. I do believe the most precious of all were the bonds of friendship forged while we were raising our young children. I recall talking with them about the day our oldest children might take to the roads, behind the wheel of a powerful automobile engine. Ken quipped that he’d find the biggest, ugliest car he could find, and attach tires to both sides. He all laughed at the image he painted. The message behind it, though, was clear to me. They loved their son, and they’d do whatever they could, for as long as they could, to shield him from the harm our world can and will inflict. I do believe that the love they had for their son while he was growing up was special. The love they still show him after his death sends a powerful message to us all. While it would certainly be expected for them to curl up in grief, they haven’t. Jeremiah’s mom meets several times a week with other Moms dealing with difficult choices their children are making. She is there to inspire them, pray with them, and council them. They know they can count on her to be honest, because they know she has faced the very worse. It’s easy, you see, to walk that faith path when things are going well, and The Lord has blessed. We find out, though, just how much faith we have when we must travel through that ‘valley of the shadow of death’. Do we have enough faith to make it, knowing we must totally depend upon The Lord? I hope that I will never be challenged with the agony they faced. I am grateful for the courage they’ve shown. It is a powerful witness to us all. I know Jeremiah is proud, too.
