Reality

Growing up is hard.

Being a grown-up is hard too.

My cousin has a son that is about five weeks younger than the girls. This last fall someone he knew died after a couple of months in the hospital following a football injury. I remember wondering if any of my kids would ever go through the loss of a friend while they were younger.

Today that wonder became reality.

Two summers ago Sparky played on a local recreation league softball team. One of our neighbors happened to be her coach. Tonight Hubby saw the coach's wife in the grocery store.

There is a girl on the team that Sparky has been in touch with for the last year and a half through texting. They have had serious Biblical discussions, and Sparky has invited her to some church youth events. She just invited her to laser tag in December, but she was unable to come due to a work conflict. She promised she'd come to the next event, which was the upcoming dodge ball tournament.

Sparky texted her on Christmas and the day or so after. Hubby found out today that on December 28 this sweet, spunky girl was in a car accident through no fault of her own and never regained consciousness. She died on January 6.

Oddly enough, there is a family at church and one of the sons goes to school with her. She was mentioned last week in youth group and in prayer meeting as a prayer request. The thing is, when you play softball for a short time with someone you often just get familiar with their first name. Hubby and Sparky both thought her name sounded familiar, but they didn't realize who it was, until tonight.

Hubby had to come home and tell her as well as the rest of our family. It's been a rough evening, especially for Sparky. Three lives were saved because her kidneys and liver were given through the Gift of Life program, but Sparky is most concerned about her eternal life. She's just not sure if she was a believer, but God knows her heart.

Sparky did everything she could to reach out to her friend. But things like this always make us think about our lives here on earth and eternity, and what we are doing to reach others.

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

The KJV says we are a vapor. Whether it's a mist or a vapor, they don't stay around long. Are we, as followers of Jesus, doing everything we can during that short time?

It makes us think hard.

*I have intentionally left out the name of Sparky's friend. I don't want people coming here because they have googled her name, and I don't want it to look like we are saying something just because we knew her.