Life, Death, and Learning Wisdom

Last night I opened my phone’s Facebook app and saw two new posts filling the screen. The first came from an old camp friend, whose wedding I attended 25 years ago, sharing the grievous news that their college-aged son had been killed in a car accident earlier that day. The shock of reading that hit me physically. No one expects to read that, at any time. My short response to him echoed my thoughts of “Oh God, no,” just to acknowledge that I shared in his grief. From so far away, there is little else I can do right now.

The second post, just below that, showed a sonogram picture with the joyful announcement of a young couple expecting their first child. Such images always provoke smiles and warm feelings (at least in me). Despite the residual shock from the previous post, I was still able to smile and rejoice for my friend.

The contrast was not lost on me.

One couple, grieving the loss of a son they loved and raised to adulthood. One couple, joyfully expectant of a child they hope to love and raise. And never was I more aware that my own eldest son was at that moment out at a friend’s house, with slick, dangerous roads between him and home. I fought fear during the next hour until he pulled up safely.

On the thread of grieving, praying friends, one fellow camp alumnus shared these verses:

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25, 26

I trust that these and other truths from the God they love and serve will comfort them, now and in the days to come. They are already leaning on their, and their son’s, faith in Jesus to comfort and carry them.

Seeing those verses reminded me that, earlier yesterday, I had posted a Bible verse—as I often do—on social media. Take a look: