Beauty for Ashes

Yesterday an 8th-grader was killed while riding his bike to school. Our hearts go out to the boy's family and to the driver of the vehicle. It was truly and accident--but a tragedy nonetheless. Life can change in the blink of an eye.

Nathaniel was a friend of Tyce's. He even said to me, "It's weird because I just saw him in Friday. He said, 'Hey, what's up' and I said, 'Not much' in the hallway. I can't believe he's just gone."

Yesterday was a hard day at school for the whole student body.

Sometimes horrible events make you ask the big questions in life: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?

And that reflection can lead to something good.

Yesterday we had the missionaries over for dinner. I asked them to give a spiritual thought on the Plan of Salvation. We read some scriptures in the Book of Mormon about death and the promise of resurrection.

Later that night our next door neighbor boys came over. They are in 6th an 7th grades and have begun to come to church with us. The three of them went to "the jumps" to ride their dirt bikes. A while later Tyce burst through the door excitedly and said, "Mom, we've been talking about the spirit world this whole time! They had a lot of questions about eternal families and the gospel. I've been answering their questions the best I can and they want to come over on Sunday afternoon and read the Book of Mormon with me for an hour."

Well, how awesome is that?????

It seems that broken hearts can be the most teachable hearts.

How blessed I feel to have a son who can bear his testimony of the hope that comes through Jesus Christ.

In some small way I hope that through the tremendous loss of this classmate, the comfort of gospel truths will breathe New Life into three wonderful young men.

Like beauty for ashes.

Our prayers for peace and comfort are with these families.