Please Pray….
UPDATE: More about Eric here.
Anytime a phone ring splits the stillness of the early morning hours in a minister’s home, you can’t help but automatically dread hearing the news on the other end. This time was no different as we’ve just learned a beloved family of our congregation’s 20-year-old son was killed in an auto accident.
Luke has gone to be with the family and I sit here between sobs and shock. I know nothing to do but ask you to please pray for God’s Presence to be felt. Dad and Mom are Tim and Gaye – their son is named Eric.
To our church family and community: announcing this here is not the way I would prefer for you to learn this terrible news, but it was early when we heard and we felt it was important to ask for prayer and get the word out as quickly as possible. We will let everyone know arrangements as soon as we have them.
may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:21
What sad news, Lisa. There are no comments I can think of that might encourage the family… except to remind them to cling to Jesus right now! They are in my prayers!
Love,
Angie xoxo
Oh Lisa! My heart is broken for everyone. I will pray for God’s presence to be felt and for His strength and love to be found in friends and family and pastors.
I’m so deeply sorry for all of you.
We just cannot imagine that pain and shock.
I’m praying with you friend~
Fran
Unimaginable, unfathomable the timing of the season, the pain. Praise God I have a God bigger than my imagination. My prayers are with this family, my heart just physically aches for them.
I know how that phone sound is for a minister and the family. I’m praying for this family and that your husband is able to minister to them in their grief.
Susan
Words can’t express the sorrow I feel for the family, and for you as you minister to them and grieve with them.
I pray that God will wrap His arms around each of you and that the family will know a peace that passes all understanding.
Thanks for sharing your tears with us as well as your laughter. It is a privilege to bear each other’s burdens.
Linda
Lisa, we will pray for this family and for you and your husband as you minister to them during this time.
My heart aches for their loss — and prayers have been lifted all morning for you and your husband. May the God of all comfort work mightily through you both.
I am so sorry. Know that I am praying for them and you. He is able.
Oh, how sad, I’m sorry. I will pray for that family and for you. *hugs*
What sad news. I’ll definitely be praying for this family.
My dad is a United Methodist minister. It is so true that when the phone rings in the middle of the night in a minister’s home you ask who is dead or dying. I have lost count of how many people I have known over the years to die and how many funerals I have attended. It is awful to know so many people who have died but it is wonderful to know that they are in heaven with God. The 20 year old and his family are in my prayers tonight.
Lisa, may God give you His words – Deut 18:18 to speak to your friends His Comfort. Your post took my breath away for a second—the news took the life out of this couple, I’m sure. May they find HIM in their overwhelming grief. I was a pastor’s wife for 27 years and it brings back thoughts of those calls, even recent. May you hear His Voice as you walk through this with this precious family to bring to them the beautiful God you have in your heart. I’d want someone leading me like you, by my side. Holding you and this family in my heart. Isa. 43:2
I will pray for our Lord’s presence to be felt. I am so sorry. In Christ, Rose
His presence was felt. Gay kept saying yesterday morning that she knew God was with her, she could FEEL Him with her. Prayer is such a powerful thing, especially in such a tragic time.
Thank you so much for calling me. You and your family mean so much to us!
I sure know the feeling when the phone rings in the middle of the night. I will be praying for Eric’s family and his friends. This one thing I know… the Lord did NOT take Eric. This was the work of the devil!
Having a 21 and 18 year old, I can relate to fearing the phone call. I’ll pray for them, Lisa.
I am so sorry to hear this tragic news! I have a son that age and my heart breaks for this family. I prayed for the family and I pray that God will help Luke and you and your church family in ministering to this family.
Love,
Patty
Oh Lisa, I’m so sorry to hear of the heartache your friends and congregation must be experiencing. I am sure you will be a blessing to them! I’m going to pray right now that God uses you in a mighty way and that they will be drawn closer to Him through this.
Oh Lisa! My heart goes out to you! I know what that feeling is like, getting a phone call in the wee hours of the night and KNOWING it is BAD news and dreading what the caller on the other side has to bear. I will pray for you and that family! I am SO sorry!
That is such sad news and I will pray for Eric’s family. May God comfort them during this difficult time.
Blessings,
Kim
Lisa-
I’m so sorry for this tragedy in your church family and in the lives of Eric’s family.
Oh, how this has humbled me over the last few days. I know our children are just on loan to us from God. I am the mom of one child and I have often thought to myself…”What would my life be like if the Lord decided to take HIS CHILD back home to be with him” and my loan process ended?
This family’s situation has really burdened my heart. It has also encouraged me to pray for protection for my own child and family more frequently.
Thank you for sharing this story. I will pray.
Oh Lisa, my heart aches so for this family. What devastating news. Hold them close for those of us who can’t. They are very blessed to have your family as their pastors. ((Hugs))
Julie
My heart goes out to your family, church family and ERic’s family. We are lifting all of you up in prayer….
This is the third such event that I have heard of this month!
A couple in our church lost their son to a freak construction accident last week.
A couple here in town were called by the police informing them that their baby had stopped breathing at daycare and had been rushed to the hospital. The baby died before having it’s first Christmas.
I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child of any age, and I will add Eric’s family to my prayers today. I am just so sorry.
Oh, I am so sorry. SO, very sorry. I’m praying for his dear family, as well as all who will be grieving with them and ministering to them during this time. {{{hug}}}
Lisa,
I am sick for you as I have received some of these calls myself…even just last week. Please know that our prayers are with you, your husband, your church, and that precious family of Eric’s. may all of you find your strength in the Lord.
I’ll be keeping this family, your family, the congregation and all those lives touched by him in prayer.