Bluffton Baseball Team

If you haven't heard about the tragedy endured by this baseball team, just turn on CNN or any other news show. Our church, Silverwood, has a lot of ties to Bluffton... actually more than we do with Goshen College and they are only 2 miles away. Our good friend Eliza graduated from Bluffton as did quite a few others from Silverwood. Several of our teens have gone or go there. A tragedy of this type is unimaginable... to try and grasp the pain of these families. This is the type of thing that keeps me awake at night. We will never know on this side of heaven why bad things like this happen... and to such good people. It reminded me right away of Olivet's bad accident and when 3 of my friends were killed... 2 of them close friends, Cindy and Alex. It happened in the Fall after my graduation so we were married and had just moved to Goshen. I remember how difficult the grieving was... to grieve "long-distance" without anyone who knew them. That was tough. I can remember crying and crying in a room with people who weren't feeling any of the things I was feeling. I don't think a Fall has gone by when I haven't thought of that accident and the friends that were "supposed" to be at my stage of life by now. Anyway, this is a round about way of saying that my heart hurts for these families and also for the friends who often are overlooked while going through the grieving process on their own as well. I pray that something good can come out of a tragedy like this.

These verses brought me some comfort tonight. Perhaps you will again be reminded of God's sovereignty as well.

Nehemiah 9:32-33
Now therefore, O our God, the great mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes -- the hardship that has come upon us. ... In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully.

Isaiah 45:11-12. 24
Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands? It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. ...In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.

Praying for a peace that surpasses all understanding,
Leah