Monday, November 3, 2008

Tragic News

Josh was declared brain dead. His family is saying their goodbyes. Words are meaningless. But hope sprouts eternal.

Great truths are dearly bought, the common truths,
Such as we give and take from day to day,
Come in the walk of easy life,
Blown by the careless wind across our way.

Great truths are greatly won, not found by chance,
Nor wafted on the breath of summer dream;
But grasped in the great struggle of our soul,
Hard buffeting with adverse wind and stream.

But in the day of conflict, fear, and grief,
When the strong hand of God, put forth in might,
Plows up the subsoil of our stagnant heart,
And brings the imprisoned truth seed to the light.

Wrung from the troubled spirit, in hard hours
Of weakness, solitude, and times of pain,
Truth springs like harvest from the well-plowed field,
And our soul feels it has not wept in vain.

-taken from today's reading in "Streams in the Desert"

18 comments:

  1. Such tragic news. So very sad for the family. My prayers go out to them.

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  2. I'm so very sorry....

    Prayers being said.

    ~Lisa

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  3. Our Prayers are with the family and friends.....

    We too lost a dear friend/member of our church yesterday....

    I'm reminded that death knocks daily somewhere.....

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  4. TJ, Mark, there are no words that can express anything meaningful except your word, "hope."

    There may be no evidence to hope in his recovery. However, we can always keep our hope in a God who is love, a God who is good - even when it's hard to see in the midst of our fallen world.

    God's blessings to you all.

    Dan

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  5. Oh no no no no. I'm so sorry. What a crazy thing, oh no. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm praying.

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  6. I'm so sorry for his family. To lose a son so young...I don't know how people bear this kind of pain.

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  7. I am so sorry to read this TJ. I'll keep his family and your in my prayers.

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  8. I am sooo sorry to hear that...I don't even know what to say..My thoughts and prayers are with the family..

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  9. I awoke early and my first thoughts were "somethings happened". Then I remembered. I thought of the sorrow that the family must be feeling, of which I only touch the outside fringe of and I saw sorrow differently. Perhaps it is not something we all try to step over and avoid with eyes that look away. Perhaps it should be accepted as one more gift of life. Perhaps.

    Thanks for all of your prayers. My friend told me she slept 10 hours last night, so she knew people must have been praying!

    Tj

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  10. Heartbreaking! I have tears and I didn't even know him.

    I cannot imagine the pain his family is feeling. We will also continue to pray for them.

    Your friend sounds incredible to be able to recognize the power of prayer in a time like this.

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  11. We are so very sorry for your friends and their loss. It is hard to even imagine how difficult it must be to lose a child. We will keep them in our prayers.

    Brenda

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  12. A poem that helps me:
    You can shed tears that he is gone - or you can smile because he lived. You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that he's left.
    Your heart can be epmty because you can't see him, or can be full of the time you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
    You can remember him and only that he's gone, or you can cherish his memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back, or you can do what he would want - smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

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  13. Very very sorry to hear that. Our prayers go out to all of you.

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  14. Thanks everyone for your warm thoughts and prayers. I will pass them on.

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  15. This is so heartbreaking, I am praying.

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  16. My mom told me the tragic news. I wish I could say something that would bring comfort to you and there family but I know there is nothing. I send my love and prayers

    Ryann

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  17. (I found your blog through Rachel Ford's blog.) We're local people, my husband works at Redwood Hospital and had told me about the passing of your friend...we're praying for the family, such sad news. Is there anything we can do for the family? Please post to my blog if there is. Blessings,

    ~April

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  18. Just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you and your friends at this tough time....

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