The God of the Bible takes our misery and suffering so seriously that he was willing to take it on himself. 

- Timothy Keller

The last 24 hours have been filled with unimaginable sorrow fo many people close to me. I'm still processing it all. Yesterday morning my inlaws' nieghbor Waylong Malone lost his battel with cancer. We've kept up with Waylon's fight the last four or so years, ever since Ben and Linda moved to New Braunfels. We saw them just weeks ago over spring break when we were visiting my inlaws. His father wrote this yesterday - 

I'm broken. 
It was NOT supposed to end this way. We were supposed to see Waylon get healed. We were supposed to see tons of pictures of he and Morgan growing up together. Pics of them at school, at the park, just having fun being siblings. We were supposed to see pics of Waylon playing soccer, going to karate, Little League, and Cub Scouts. Then later going to middle school, high school, graduation, and prom. Even later college, finding the love of his life, and then marriage. It was NOT supposed to end this way. Not at all. 
God rest your beautiful, "tough as nails," heart and soul. Now and always will be My Littlest Hero.

I can't imagine the sorrow of losing a child. 

Later on yesterday I got news that a church bus from my inlaws' church, First Baptist New Braunfels was hit head-on on the way home from a retreat in Leakey. Thirteen of the fourteen church members on board were killed. We feel a special connection with this church as we've been there about a dozen times. There are so many sweet elderly people in this church, and Brian and I have grown to really respect and admire the pastor, Brad, a man about our age. My father in law is retiring tomorrow, and he and my mother in law might have been on the retreat had he retired in December as had been his plan initially. They lost six close friends in this accident. I'm heart broken for them! They had been planning to leave out of Galveston on a cruise this Sunday, but have canceled their trip. 

Also last night the world lost a great man of faith. Dale along with his wife, Janis, were long time missionaries and faithful servants of the Lord. Though I've not spent a whole lot of time with them in the 21 years I've known them, I've been impacted by their lives. Their son was influential in leading Brian to Christ, and was best man in our wedding. His younger brother was an usher in our wedding. Here's what Janis said about her husband - 

Well, it looks like everyone but me has expressed how they feel. I can't believe this has happened. I had 
thought he would live to 94 and I to 84 and that we still had many years together. 

The time he has been sick took much of him away from me, with him rarely being able to be himself with me. 
I've grieved the loss of my life partner for months now and know that I will continue to grieve for a long time. I 
know he's with the Lord, but I had wanted to have him with me a few more years. I've told him many times 
that he is my treasure. Our life together has been sweeter as the years went by and now I'm grateful for 
happy, very intimate memories of the only person with whom I have had oneness of purpose, heart, soul, 
mind, body, memories, years, experiences, family. Now it feels like a treasured vase has been broken 
irreparably. 
Thank you for your prayers and expressions of love.

I'm crying right now imagining what it will be like to someday live without my Brian, if the Lord takes him before me. 

But there's hope beyond the grave, of that I'm sure. 

 He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove His people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. 

In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”