Many of you who may (or may not) read this blog, have heard of the deaths of the family of Brent Bigger. I was a freshman at Hobe Sound with Brent many years ago. I wouldn't say that I was a close friend of his, but Hobe Sound isn't a very large place and we all knew each other pretty well. The Brent I knew, was a very fun loving, kind hearted, kid loving guy. Since I heard the news of the accident, it hasn't been very far from my mind. I can't seem to wrap my head around how difficult Brent's life must be right now. How much pain, and heartache can a person endure? I don't know about anyone else, but as I was growing up in a great family, my world was pretty insulated from pain and heartache. I had lost a couple of great grandparents, but I was so young, I really didn't remember them at all. When I was thirteen, all that changed. Family friends of ours, the Bishops, lost their 6 year old son, Brent, very suddenly. I was very involved in Brent's life as a babysitter and as a friend to the family. I will never forget the shock of death. The absolute horror that we would never see him again on earth. It was the first time that it became real to me....and from that moment on, a bit of fear entered my life that had never been there before. Many of you know that I have two younger sisters that are quite a bit younger than I. Erin was about the same age as Brent, in fact. That night when the phone rang, and we found out the horrible news, I started going into my sister's room every night, and giving them hugs and kisses, and telling them I loved them no matter how late it was, because I couldn't stand the thought of one of us dying and them not knowing how much I love them. Weird? Maybe, but death had become real. As I have grown up, I have found that many times, life is generally not the fairy tale that we think it is as young people. I don't mean to sound dreary and downtrodden, but life can be very sad and ugly. I have mentioned before that in the last few years I watched my two best friends struggle with some of the hardest things a person can deal with in life. I stood helplessly by wishing I could take their pain away from them, and knowing that I couldn't. I have faced a few hard places in my own life that I don't really understand, and wish were very different. As I was sitting at the computer today, thinking of Brent and all that he must be dealing with emotionally, my mind went to a funeral sermon that was preached by the great preacher, E.V. Hill. I jumped on Youtube and sure enough, there it was. As I listened once again to a message that I have heard many, many times, my heart was lifted up in a way that has blessed me. He reminded me, that we are so blessed with the Lord's giving, that when He takes, we throw a temper tantrum, and instead of blessing His name, we ask how he would dare to take from us. We are so blessed in our everyday lives and many times we take it for granted. I also love it when he starts describing how the Lord was describing how "Baby" (his wife) was going to be in heaven. It reminded me that we are sad here on earth, but that those people whom we have loved and lost are in a PERFECT place--no more sickness, no more tears.....NOTHING is wrong, EVERYTHING is right. We miss them and our hearts ache for those left behind, but know this....they are in an indescribable place that far exceeds our limited imaginations. That is why I want to walk this road of life as a Christian. Because I CAN trust God...in the good times, in the bad, and in the in between. I would advise you all to take ten minutes out of your busy schedules and sit down and listen to the power and love in this man's good-bye to the wife he loved so much, and then apply the principles in our own lives as we live this messed up, painful, joyous, wonderful thing we call life.
