Week from HELL

So my last post was about the loss of a family friend. He was a father to two children and a husband to a precious woman. That was the first death of the week. Isn't that horrible to say???

I got the email at 10:30 on Monday morning. It was my plan period. I couldn't believe what I read so I had to immediately call my roommate. My roommate was crying. It was true. Our other roommate's little girl had died!!!! I lost it. I couldn't believe this was happening to one of the most holy people I knew. The girl who was a true example of Christ all 4 years of my college life. Ugh, the pain still hurts as I type this.  She was five years old. My roommate had taken her to the dr bc she was sick. He diagnosed her with the flu. When she got home, she gave S her medicine and she went down for a nap. A bit later she when it to check on her and she was gone. gone. how? why? 

Of course we never know why. God must have really needed this little one as one of his angels. Because she lives so far away, I was unable to go out to the funeral with such a sort notice. Flights were ridiculous. Sad:( What a horrible empty feeling to not be able to be there for a friend. One of our other college friends was able to attend and be there for the rest of us who were unable to be there for her. Here is her followup email. I changed to Mom and Dad and S(baby) for privacy sake. 

"I just got home a bit ago from the Mass celebrating S's life and then her burial.The most amazing thing of the day is to see the Mom and Dad's strength.  It was simply divine intervention, as far as I'm concerned. I gave Mom the biggest hug of my life, and while I was sobbing, she was at peace.  She said to me, D, S saw the love, felt it calling, and ran to it.  I couldn't believe how much peace radiated from her being.  I know God has put his hand on her heart and allowed the healing process to begin. The Mom is very fragile and in much pain, I know, but I think peace has enveloped her like a cloud. The mass was so peaceful and perfect.  The priest giving the message knows the family and it was so moving.  So beautiful.  So sincere and filled with love. The church was packed.. the whole community was there to support the Mom and Dad.  It was such an outpouring of love... it made my heart glad to see.

The music chosen for the mass was soothing and peaceful.  During the first song (I will bless Thee), the mom's arms were lifted high to heaven and I know she was receiving strength from God. Instead of adults giving reflections, the Priest asked all of S's cousin to come up to the front.  He then asked them to say their favorite thing about S... they were all very young and said things like "she played with me", "she was family", "she was a good person"... it was precious.  And so very appropriate - the priest said S didn't like the adult mass so he wanted to have the kids there instead of the boring adults.At the end we sand "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy down in my heart...".  People were clapping. 


The cemetery was a few miles away form the church.  We went and gathered around the Morgans.  They released doves and the doves flew around like a symbol sent from God - of peace and well being and his Holy Spirit resting in us.  We had a chance to help spread some dirt on S's coffin (which held just her body... not her soul, which is already with Jesus), and although the whole thing was a big fog, it was a symbol of the community gathering and helping to give S a loving send off. I am so blessed to have been able to attend.  And I know your prayers and love made a world of difference - I know God allowed the Mom to feel the love being sent out for her from all over. In the midst of this sadness, God showed up and gave us a ray of hope - hope that one day S is waiting for us and she'll be so joyous to embraces us all."

Is that not unbelievable. I am in awe of the their strength...esp my roommate. Wow.  Please please keep my roommate and her family in your prayers. If you read Lelia's facebook recently, the little girl she posted about is my roommates little girl. You can see her pic...what a true angel!

As if that isn't enough. Ten minutes after I received this info from my roommate, I get a buzz over the intercom from the secretary. She tells me my mom called and it's urgent. I honestly thought she was calling to tell me about my roommate but no. It was another death.

My brother's best friend was training for a marathon and was running early Monday morning when he was struck and killed by an off duty police officer on his way home from work. I lost it. Again. At this point I couldn't take it anymore. I had to leave school. My partner teacher heard my tears/crys and came to support me. Ten minutes later DH was there to pic me up. I just had to leave. 

My brother's best friend, SD, was that person who is everyone's favorite person. He put 110% into his family and his friends. He never complained. He was hilarious. He was honest. He was everything any man would want to be. My brother looked up to him in every way. To me, he was like a big brother. And now, he was gone. UGH. His poor family. He left behind a wife and two precious kids, 8 and 4. We drove up to Birmingham for the service. It was honestly one of the most emotional days of my life. 

The service was the most beautiful, yet sorrowful service I had ever been too. Because they are Hindu, they had certain traditional parts of their ceremony that were so beautiful. There were about 15 people that got up separately to talk about SD. Even his wife spoke...WOW! There wasn't a dry eye in the chapel for an hour. But to see these people profess their love and admiration for SD was just so inspiring. I wish all funerals were like this...a celebration of life, of people getting up and sharing stories of how that person touched their life. It really made the service so much more meaningful than any I had been to before. 

How do these families go on? How? How do they even get out of bed? I was thinking about my pain and then couldn't imagine to be them. How? Oh my heart still aches so bad for them. I have so much more to say, so many more thoughts but I will let this be. 

For now, please pray for these precious families. They need our prayers so very badly. One thing this all did help me do was put my life into more perspective. This whole IF thing. Yes it hurts, yes it's painful BUT I have my DH with me tonight when I go to bed. I will now look at things a bit differently after this past week. 

As for R, S and SD, you will be missed greatly. I will continue to pray for the repose of your souls. I hope and pray that you are enjoying life in the arms of our precious Lord. I also hope you have met my little one who is up there with you. Take good care of my angel:)