I forgot until just an hour ago that today is the 4 yr anniversary of the death if a young girl I knew.
When we moved to WV, I was getting ready to start my first year of high school. I was coming to an unfamiliar place and had no friends. A girl in the church and I had an instant connection. She was about 6 yrs younger than me so I guessit was like a sister relationship. She was a cute little girl, smart, gentle and kind hearted. Very beautiful on the outside but also on the inside. I spent a lot of time at her house, baby sat her and her older brother, spent the night a few times. She even gave me a rabbit that she didn't want that I had even after brad and I got married.
Since I was going into high school and she was only in elementary school, it didn't take long after that first summer for our friendship to fade. We were both going our separate ways.
She got saved and eventually her family left our church to attend another church. I didn't see her or speak to her in years. Then on Ryan's first bday (Dec 2007), I decide to run down to the local grocery store and buy the ingredients for a cake. She was Working there and asked whose birthday it was. "Ryan's and my dad's" were the last words I ever spoke to her. By now she was a senior in high school.
Fast forward 3 months, March 21, 2008. If was a Friday. Our church was planning to leave for our spring retreat to a state park when I received a call from mom. There was a car accident as you leave town and word was it was Sam. It was. Come to find out it was senior skip day so she wasn't in school. She went home to be with her Lord immediately.
I often wonder why God choses to do things the way he does. Why does he take some people before we think it is time for them? Why does he give some people lots of money and still others no money? Why does it seem some people never go through anything difficult while others it seems have more valleys than mountaintops?
And then I remember that he does everything for his own glory and his ways are better than ours. I am reminded that every day, every breath is a gift from God.
Sorry for any typos, Im on my phone and we all know what that means. :)
P.S. Sam's older brother has recently started attending our church regularly with his fiance.
Every single time I come into Buffalo and pass the spot where the "accident" occured, I think of Sam. It is hard to understand the whys in life sometimes. That's why we are called to trust even though we don't understand the whys. I'll bet if we had a chance to talk to Sam, she would NOT want to come back! I still tear up thinking of the loss of Sam from a mother's point of view. But when I do, I can say a prayer for Joyce, Joe and Joey. I cannot imagine, nor do I want to, going through that!
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