It has taken a long time to recover from the 2010-2011 school year. I checked back and noticed that my last blog entry here was in mid-May. I confess that I have had no energy to write about mothering, no gumption to place any wise words before you. I'm still not sure I'm ready.
A month ago, I was geared up, and all set to begin our summer. The school year had held its share of heightened joys and deep sorrows. School was winding down and the Spring sports season was over and done with. We attended all the awards ceremonies and met every obligation related to our son's high school graduation. We made sure college plans were buttoned up and the Eagle Scout ceremony was at least on the to-do list. I poured myself a long cool glass of sweet tea, closed my eyes and exhaled. And then came the next blow.
Of the four devastating losses to hit our community over Memorial Day weekend, the third was the hardest for us to bear because it affected us personally. There was an accident and a dear young guy from our son's graduating class was killed--Andy Sions. In the wake of Andy's departure for Heaven, abundant grace was poured out on so many. It was kind of like when Kevin Evans had his motorcycle accident last May--everywhere you turned there was another person with another story to tell about how they saw Jesus all over the events surrounding the accident. It has become Kevin's testimony.
Losing Andy has truly been Heaven's gain. Many of our Christian teens have spent time re-examining their walks with God, they are loving on each other a little more and reminding each other to be careful before they step into their vehicles. The biggest gain, however, is the overwhelming number of young people who gave their hearts to Jesus between Andy's funeral and his memorial service the Friday after graduation. People who were not aware of Andy's faith and vulnerability before God were blown away by the testimonies of his family and friends. I am hoping the message is clear--in a lot of ways Andy was an ordinary boy, an ornery and typical high school athlete, but his faith made him extraordinary. I hope that the kids who knew him, whose lives have been impacted by losing him, will see that God takes the ordinary, the ornery and typical in all of us and makes us extraordinary in Him. This one's for you, Andy!
