Glory to God

Wake County has been dealing with a lot of deaths recently. In the past 2-3 weeks there has been about 15-20 deaths due to car accidents in the county. 15-20?? That's insane! I mean, I know people die every day, but still. That many in just one county from the same cause? That's crazy to me.

One of those deaths was a man from my church named Flip Kissinger. A bus rammed into the front of his truck and into his wind shield. He lived for about another week or two. I honestly have no idea how he even lived for another week. He had like 47 bones or so broken. It's crazy. His funeral had many many attendants. Many people are greiving right now over this.

Another death which has recently happened is the death of Ben McNeal. Ben also went to my church. He and Flip both died within the same week. Ben was diagnosed with the ALS disease (which is a disease which causes the muscles in your body to break down and basically die.) He was diagnosed this past August and died December 9th. He left such a huge impact on so many lives inside and outside of my church. Ben knew he was dying. His death wasn't sudden at all, yet he didn't complain once. Instead, he went and told everyone about Christ. He told people the reason he wasn't worried about dying was because he had faith in the only God who concurs death. He was so excited about going and being with his Father, and now he is there.

Tonight, i was on the facebook chat and i was talking to one of the 7th grade girls in my middle school small group from church. She was telling me how Flip's death has been hard on her family because they were very close friends with him. She said Mr. Kissinger was like a dad to her, so it was like losing a dad in a way. Though she's hurting right now, I just want everyone to know how proud i am of her. As she was telling me all this, she said something along the lines of, "it's sad because he was so close to my family, but knowing he's in heaven with God helps alot. prayer has helped me alot through all this." A 7th grader told me this. She was saying many other things like, "I just need to lean on God." "I just need to trust Him with this." "I'll be okay as long as i keep praying."

When she was telling me all this, i honestly was blown away! Not very many adults even comprehend the importance of relying on God with their situations, especially when it's death! I told her that it's sooo cool to see her saying all this as she's so young. Like i've said on previous blogs, dealing with that stuff isn't easy at all if you don't lean on the only One who can truly comfort you. God's the only one who holds that peace you need to see past a death or any other situation. Honestly, when a follower of the Lord dies, it's not really necessary to call it a funeral, it's a celebration! They're done with this awful, sinful world and are with our God forever in eternity. It's awesome. And it's even more awesome that a 7th grader can grasp this concept completely!

Goodness, God is good. But do please keep in prayers the families and friends of those who have lost a love one just recently. Those who don't know Christ won't be able to see the good out of this as clear as Christians can. Pray the Lord will use this to bring them to Himself. Glory to God forever.