Rest in Peace

For the last week or so Granola and I have been extremely stressed due to several separate events. About one week ago JBob began running a low grade fever. The next morning he woke up and had a 102 temperature. Being a Sunday we thought, no big deal Motrin and Tylenol rotated every four to six hours and if hes not better we'll take him to the doctor tomorrow. Granola then went to work and JBob spiked a serious fever. By 11 AM he hit 104 and I began the whole cool wash cloth, luke warm bath, but it wouldn't give. By 11:30 105 hit and I headed to the ER. Granola beat me there and said it was slam packed so we opted to go to the immediate care. Fourth person in line when it opened and three hours later we are told its just a virus and there is nothing they can do and we should just monitor him. We get him home, comfort him, and sure enough the fever gets back down to 102. The next morning we wake up and mermaid has the fever. As an added bonus unknown marks start appearing all over her body. The next two days pass and the marks are spreading and both kids now have them as well as fever so its back to the doctor. We are told it is some sort of staph infection, and given meds.

Right before this started I was at work, and my phone is ringing like crazy. I try not to answer my phone, but I notice it is going off like crazy and all calls are coming from Florida. Knowing something is wrong I call back and discover that a Deputy with the Sheriff's Office I used to work for had been killed while trying to bring a mentally sick person in for help. I don't know the whole story but from what I understand when he came through the door he was greeted with a shotgun to the head. He left behind a wife and two young children.

For the last week we have also realized that JBob is regressing pretty badly. We have not been able to afford all of his supplements due to financial issues, and unfortunately have had to buy what we can and hope for the best. Well missing just one of his supplements sets him back like you wouldn't believe. It's been tough to say the least, but nothing in comparison to what we were about to experience, or what the families of the ones I'm about to speak of are experiencing.

We woke up today thinking, we were getting everything back on track. I got paid so we could afford Jbob's supplements, fevers have gone away for the most part, and the staph is clearing up. JBob is still struggling, but were working back to getting him better. That's when I hear Granola's phone receive a text message. The next thing I hear is, "Oh my God." This isn't your typical Oh MY God but the kind that you immediately know something bad has really happened. I spring to attention and ask whats going on. Granola is crying instantly, and tells me that a dear friend and leader at our church was killed in a car accident. Not only was she killed, but a eleven year old boy was in the car with her and killed also. She was the children's ministry leader at our church, and the boy faithfully helped his mother out in the nursery every Sunday. Renee was an amazing woman of God and I know she is now in heaven watching over us. Bryan was also an amazing child of Christ and I rest easy knowing he too is in heaven. What hurts the most is knowing that a mother and father had to bury their kid, and a husband and her children have to bury their wife and mother. I know God has a purpose for everything but sometimes you have to ask what the purpose in this is. I am not doubting God's chosen path, but it doesn't make it easy. I remember when we first attended this church how I used to become angry at the way Renee worshipped. She was on the stage every Sunday singing praise and worship, and I used to think she over worshiped. When the song was over she used to keep praising out to God, and I used to think it was for attention. It disgust me how I used to doubt Renee's faith, and some of the thoughts I used to think about. It wasn't until recently that I finally came to grips with the fact that she truly loves God so much that she couldn't help but continue to worship when the song was over. She was never doing it for the attention, but because she felt a genuine connection with God. What used to bother me so greatly became something I longed to receive. I found myself wanting to be more like her. So connected that I didn't care what other people thought of me. So connected that I couldn't help but scream out praises for the Lord. I finally accepted who she was and what she stood for, and now God has taken her away. As we sat in the sanctuary today during special prayer time for the lost ones families I found myself staring at the place she stood every Sunday singing God's praises. I found myself longing to hear her one more time, and began to cry. God has truly received an amazing addition to his kingdom, and I know he is blessed by having her there with him. I hope that I never forget the lesson that was learned by having Renee in my life, and pray that I too will feel as connected as she was.

Please pray for Renee's entire family as she left a loving husband, mother, and wonderful children to continue her journey. Please pray for Brian's family that God will help them understand why all of this has happened. Finally please pray for the emergency personnel that attended to Renee and Brian. Speaking on personal experience I still have nightmares about my first traffic related death. I wake up in cold sweats after replaying the event in my head over and over. Pray that the emergency workers will not suffer from this and that they will not let it affect their personal lives.

Just stop and pray.

Be thankful for every moment you have with your loved ones. Cherish it. No matter how stressful we thought our last week was, we still have each other to hold on to. If for no other reason their deaths will help us stop and realize no matter how hard we think things are going, we still have each other and that we should live every moment like it may be our last together. We love and miss you both.

Rest in peace Renee and Brian. You will be greatly missed.

OA