Grief

When you hear on the news that a young woman has been killed by a hit-and-run driver, you think it's a tragedy, a waste of a life barely begun. You wonder at how people can let their judgement become so impaired by alcohol that they don't notice - or don't care - that they have run someone down.

You don't ever think it could be someone you know.

For over fifteen years, I was a leader in our church's kindergarten to sixth grade kids' club. With no kids of my own, the third and fourth grade girls in my group became "my" girls.

Melissa was one of those girls. At eight, she was a skinny, dark-haired, freckle-faced charmer. She was a bit shy around new people, but certainly could hold her own cheering and shouting during our riotous game time. She was always willing to help, seldom without a smile.

I lost track of her when her parents moved out of town. To read of the wonderful things she has been doing, the exciting new challenges in front of her, in this particular context is heart-breaking. You need only look at the condolence notes coming in to her friend Desirae's facebook page to realize she touched and was loved by many people.

When you have a chance today, pray for her parents, Nancy and Paul, her siblings Brian and Amber, and her friends. Pray that the God of all comfort would hold them close. Pray that they will remember that while this is the end of Melissa's life here, it is just the beginning of her glorious life in heaven.

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:11 - 13