{Only The Good Die Young}

10:54 PM

Its the end of Easter weekend... I spent Sorrowful Friday with my sisters as we knelt before the foot of the cross together, weeping. A few different things became more clear to me that evening. The heart of the disciples during that day and the next day was what hit me the hardest. Having your dearest friend brutally abused, beaten, stabbed, ripped, torn, and very broken right before your eyes... Seeing Him take His last breath. Repeating His words in your head over and over, trying to make sense of them... Jesus' buddies didn't know He was going to come back to life a few days later. To them, He was gone.


Last night, I found out a wonderful young man that helped a lot with my youth group died in a rock climbing accident. I didn't know him very well... We had only talked a few times. Yet I always enjoyed just being around him and watching him interact with others. His smile lit up the whole room. He accepted everyone, regardless of where they've been. He was crazy about life... Wore rolled up jeans, flannels, a knit beanie over his dreaded dark blonde hair, and tried not to wear shoes as much as possible. Such a hippie.. He had this excited look in his eyes, making you want to know of all the adventures he had been on. He seemed to genuinely love those around him, even if he didn't know them that well.

This morning I woke up and instead of rejoicing at remembrance of Christ's Resurrection, I felt so heavy. For a few minutes, I couldn't figure out why. Then I recalled last night. I lay in bed for another half an hour, just thinking.

"How could he be gone?"

Part of me feels selfish for grieving his death, simply because I wasn't close to him. So who am I to be able to grieve the loss of him?

The rest of me is in shock... Only a few weeks ago, I passed him in the hall and said, "Hey!" thinking he had a great smile. I will never see his smile again. How simple smiles are... But the impact they have... It blows my mind.


Where ever you are in life, whoever you are around... Smile. You don't know how much longer you have here on earth to do that simple action. You don't know who is watching you, thinking, "That person has a great smile." You don't know who needs a gentle touch of warmth that you can give by smiling. What I do know is that our time here is so terribly short. Savor each moment, live intentionally, create memories, love deeply, and remember that every breath is a second chance.

"Hold onto the small things and make them worth fighting for"

You Might Also Like

0 comments