July 30th, 2023: A Painful Tragedy

I was at a loss for words as I tried to comprehend the text a friend sent me earlier today. Both of his sons died earlier this morning in a plane crash in the Kananaskis area. It was supposed to be the gathering for his elder son's wedding party. Among the six young men who lost their lives, two were young fathers, one was expected to be a dad, and two were looking forward to being married. Emotionally, I am filled with pain as I think and pray for him, his wife, their two daughters, the families of the other four young men, and their significant others.

This is a big tragedy for the church where five of them are members. Please pray for all of them.

Where is God when this kind of tragic event happens?

God is always with those who suffer, and He suffers with us. God is within us, so when we suffer, He suffers. Jesus knows our pain and embraces it in His death.

In suffering, nothing makes sense. We will never be satisfied if we ask why. We seek stillness of our human soul so that our heart might be comforted, and our mind can rest. It calls for greater trust in God.

We learn how to be with one another. Words can be meaningless. Our presence and our being there for those who suffer will be a lot more helpful.

We will grieve deeply, and in many ways, we experience death as we grieve. My friend's experience of loss is beyond my understanding. May we see God while grieving. These are young men of sincere faith in Jesus. They are with Him now.

I cannot write anymore. It just hurts too much.

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book." - Psalm 56:8