Forever changed

Two Sunday evenings ago, I got one of “those” phone calls.  A young man whom I knew was shot and killed.  A young man in his prime, with a young wife and five-month-old son.  And lives will be forever changed.

I know his mother and father well.  Many who loved them rushed to their sides, and have been there ever since.  The childhood friends of this young man have stepped in and continue to faithfully do so.  All are in shock.  None of us believed the stories we were hearing from the city he lived in … Shot by his wife after an alleged attack.  None of it made sense.  None of it added up.  And lives ARE forever changed.

This past Friday, the news reached Florence that his “widow” was arrested for Murder.  That does answer questions that many of us suspected were true … But, lives are still forever changed.  Don’t get me wrong:  We are all thankful for justice and praying for it.  But at this point, there is no good end to this story.  A family will forever be without a son and a brother.  A little boy will grow up, never really knowing a father who was already awesome and would’ve been wonderful for that little man.  From that day forward, many lives are and will be forever changed.

It reminds us all that there are times in life when we MUST STEP UP.  I know all of those friends will step up for that little boy when they get the chance.  Instead of one father, he will have a bunch!  And I am praying they will show him and tell him what kind of man his dad was.  I know the friends of his mother and father will continue to step up and hold them up.  Help them walk through life.  There might even be a day, heaven forbid, that they will be called to help another family that faces such a hard event.

No matter what happens from here, our lives are forever changed.  And this, again, is proof that life is far from perfect.  That life is very hard.   And the only way we can make it through is with the love and grace of God the Father, salvation in Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of other believers.  And if you don’t believe me, come and see me someday.  I will SHOW you all of that in action right now in the house of my friends whose lives are forever changed…