Yesterday, middle of the sunny afternoon, an 18-year-old kid was giving 15-year-old Casey a ride. I don't know where they were coming from, or where they were going. All I know is that the teens sped through a part of town that is still a 25 MPH that eventually turns into a 50 MPH highway, but they had already reached that speed. They hit corner and the rail road tracks that bounced them (possible off of the car beside them into on-coming traffic. Two elderly women in a larger vehicle met the smaller car coming at them head-on. Both ladies were hurt, but nothing life-threatening. The 18-year-old driver (I'm sorry, i don't know his name) was dead. Life flight came and took Casey away, but he died during surgery.
I know the Binkard family enough to say hi if we are in the same check-out line at Fred Meyers. They are a well known and well liked Dundee family. I have been meaning to call Kerry, the dad, about a building project I've had in mind. They volunteer at the schools, coach sports teams, and have adopted several children. They are simply good people.
Casey came to a tween Vacation Bible School I ran at my house. We had a fun week, and he was just a nice, easy-going fun kid. He was well liked by his peers. I didn't do much more with him for our youth group, because he had his own church. I wish now that I had known him better.
I looked at his FB page today; tons of friends and others from the community left him messages of regret, sadness, and hope. On his info page, his religious views are: "God is my hero, Jesus is my savior." I find great comfort in this declaration.
Although he just finished his freshman year in high school, he listed his college and his major was to be some kind of engineer, as well as missions. This made me sad... to lose such potential. Many of his friends have declared his death as "not fair." I agree.
The weight on my heart is quite heavy... Tom reminded me that many of the burdens I am lugging around aren't even my own. But I feel for my friends... the loss of a son, the same age as my Bubba; a tiny unborn baby already condemned before her first breath of air; a vibrant funny friend living on borrowed time, being eaten away by cancer; friends splitting up and divorcing the person who used to be their best friend; etc.
So I am working to feel, to grieve, and to then move on, giving my cares to God (He asked for them!) I have to actually sit in silence. Then name the care and take my hands and lift them into the air. Sometimes I feel silly, but that's what works for me. I should do this with my physical ailments, too. I give them up... I give them away... please take them from me....
I'll let you know if it works. Meanwhile, please continue to pray for me, for my friend christina's baby, for my buddy Aaron with cancer, and now the Binkard family and really all of Dundee... -jay-
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