Friday, September 3, 2010

Life lessons from college.

If you're looking for laughs today, this is not the place to find them.

I was happily screaming my lungs out yesterday at Man-boy's soccer game when my phone rang. It was Abbie.

She was crying, so I got up and walked away from the action so I could hear her.

She asked me to pray for her friend Kim, whose friend from her hometown, Lauren (also a Liberty student), had fallen off her bunkbed a few days ago and cracked her head open. Lauren went to the ER and got a few stitches, and her parents came and got her to take her home until she healed.

Lauren spent her last day on earth with her family, and went home to heaven yesterday.

The obvious question among college students is "Why?"

But why not? Aren't we always saying that God knows best? That all things work together for good etc. etc.? Don't we sing the hymn that says "Jesus doeth all things well"? Has any of that changed?

No. The thought I can't get out of my mind is that God was so gracious to let Lauren spend her last day with her family. Her mom and dad didn't have to go pick up a body; they got to hug and love on their daughter and hear her voice and see her smile. Sometimes we are so concentrated on our own grief that we miss the grace and mercy of God, who surely doeth all things well.

Ben has always said when we can't see the hand of God, we can trust the heart of God.

Praying for Lauren's family and friends.

Be thankful~

Karen

3 comments:

NaomiG said...

Oh, so sad for her family. Will put a note by my kitchen sink to pray for them, and for all affected by the tragedy today.

"We are not in our own hands, nor in the hands of earthly teachers; but we are under the skillful operation of hands which make nothing in vain. The close of life is not decided by the sharp knife of the fates; but by the hand of love. We shall not die before our time, neither shall we be forgotten and left upon the stage too long."-excerpt of Charles Spurgeon's 'Our times are in they hands' sermon... one of my favorites.

Catherine said...

I'm so sorry. Death is hardest on the living. The grief for her family must be horrible -- but I'm glad they have the comfort of knowing that she went home to be with her Lord and Savior.

Connie said...

I am so sorry to hear of this tragedy. I lost 2 best friends and several close friends between the ages of 17 and 20. I can certainly relate to what Abbie and her friends are going through. Thankfully unlike some of my friends, this girl was a Christian. We can praise God for that. I will keep Lauren's family and Abbie and her friends in my prayers.