Fragile Life

I've heard a lot of bad news the last two days. Thank You, Lord, that only one affects us directly; but my heart still breaks for everyone touched, and I'd like to ask for prayer for all of these. (Fair warning - this is a lot of heavy stuff.)

Someone close to us is being diagnosed this week with congestive heart failure. We feel confident that it will be managed successfully & for years...but it's still real, serious, and a big bummer. :'(

When I kept my journal for seven years on a private site, I became acquaintances with a girl named Heather. (We weren't BFFs, but we had many mutual friends, and after seven years of sharing our lives, you can't help but feel connected. Our conversations crossed daily.) Our old community just found out that she died on Thursday. She was sitting there typing, like I am right now, and she just fell over. Nonspecific heart failure. No heartbeat, not breathing. She leaves behind a husband and three young boys. My heart aches not only for her family, but for the pain I see my friends who were closer to her going through. Most hadn't seen her in person in ages, live nowhere near her, and are really going to struggle with finding closure. She was brassy, vibrant, & embodied the phrase "mama bear" with a vivacious love for her sons. It's a shocking reminder of how we are not promised tomorrow...

A friend of mine's sister was in a bad relationship. The guy was arrested a couple months ago for assaulting her, but through a horrible slating of cases, he was released on bail. My friend's sister was scared (with good reason) that he would try to see her. The upside is, that shouldn't happen now. The tragedy is why: he killed an off-duty cop by throwing a piece of concrete at his head during a petty argument in a parking lot last night. Jaw. On. The. Floor. The cop was celebrating his 38th birthday, which would have been today; he was married and also had three children. His wife, three kids, & whole police force are now in mourning, all b/c a judge didn't take my friend's sister's story of abuse seriously. Please pray for the cop's family and for my friend's sister as she works through the reality shock of what he could have been capable of with her. Major healing needed!

Another friend of mine & her husband were out walking and came upon another tragedy: one of her neighbors & good friends accidentally ran over her 18-month old child. I just got word that the little girl has passed... Please pray for remarkable comfort and the kind of healing that only God can bestow. God will be the only one who can help the mother deal with this accident. Please also pray for my friend who stumbled onto the scene mere seconds after it happened; she has a new baby son, herself, and I know it's not an image that's going to be easy for her get over, either.

I know all of this is a lot to take in. (Trust me, it's been a lot for me to take in & hear the last 24 hours with all the personal connections!) But I know that God will be able to bring healing, comfort, & justice in His timing, if we ask Him. Thanks for standing together with me in prayer!

Edited to add: I just opened my daily devotional email. Psalm 90:20. Wow.
 
Edited to add a day later: more prayer to ask for in the wake of tragedy - one of my BFFs at MOPS & church here's husband's sister committed suicide yesterday. Pray for their family, especially the 8 year old son she has left behind...