a soul was saved with the loss of another

last year was a happy year for us. 2012 - a year of many firsts. my first days working at harbour view. our first marriage conference. my first 5k run. my first 8k run. buying our first house.

even in the happiest of years there always seems to be some anguish. in november my uncle eddy unfortunately took his life. why? that is a question we will never begin to understand. his farewell was unexpected and I miss him a great deal. i was at work when i found out the news. i was devastated. my heart was overwhelmed with great sadness. how could he not know that he was loved? by me. by family. by God. how did he not know that we would stand beside him? these questions and more will never be answered. i do not dwell on the questions because i have hope. 

i have hope. i do know that i will see my uncle again where we will spend eternity together. years ago, my dad had the opportunity to walk my uncle into a life of following Jesus Christ. praise God! that is what we cling to. knowing we will see him again. 

the pain in me seemed too much to bear. but God said, "I'm not finished with this yet!" he makes beautiful things out of ashes. he turns the right wrong. he creates good where the devil intends evil. he makes us new. he transformed this story from one of sorrow to one of rejoicing. 

God has reached into the hearts of my family and changed us through this tragedy. through my uncle eddy's tragedy our family remains strong. through this tragedy my cousin has decided to FOLLOW JESUS. she was desolate. she was searching. she felt abandoned. forsaken. God found her in the midst of her grief. God found her in the midst of her questions and her agony. God found her! you see, God doesn't just allow sadness to happen without a perfect powerful plan. his plan is much greater than ours. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV)." God had a plan that would be used for a greater good. an unexplainable plan. 

a soul was saved with the loss of another. remember this when you don't understand why God would allow you to experience such hurt. such pain. loss. God has a greater plan that we can't see. that we can't understand. He tells us ---"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)." he is a loving God. a gracious God. my uncle surely did not die in vain. one more life will enter the kingdom of heaven because of his death. rejoice with me. celebrate with me. 

we love & miss our uncle eddy