A best friend died tonight.
Carrisa
We went to a Christmas party at Carla and Anthony's. It was a normal night. Everyone was having a good time, and just chatting and relaxing and enjoying each-other's company. Dear friends. Precious times.
More precious than we could ever know....
Carrisa was all smiles. She looked beautiful - all dressed up for Christmas with friends. She mentioned feeling funny because of all the vitamins she had taken just prior to coming to the party. She mentioned feeling an anxiety attack possibly coming on. She mentioned her gluten sensitivity. Things not out of the ordinary for Carrisa to talk about.... Things that I now wonder about, but at the time seemed common-place.
8:15pm - Seth and I and James decided to head home, since our babysitter was waiting at our house with Josiah.
I fell asleep with James in his bed.
Then I woke up to the phone ringing.
Seth had answered.
It was Jessica. Something terrible had happened.
Everyone else had still been hanging out. They were just playing board-games. Out of NO WHERE, Carrisa just passed out. She wasn't breathing. She barely had a pulse. She was being taken by ambulance to the hospital right then.
We prayed.
We cried.
We couldn't believe it.
What in the world????
About a half an hour later, we got a call from Carla -
"Carrisa is in heaven"
WHAT?!!!!!!!!?????
It all happened so fast!
So hard to believe.
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How much can one family be expected to endure, Lord?
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Carrisa's brother died as a teenager several years ago. Her father taken, also, from cancer, before that. Four living siblings left behind tonight. And her grief-FILLED mother. And her 18-month old daughter. Josiah's age exactly. We were giving birth at the same time, in the same hospital, with the same group of friends visiting us.
Seems like yesterday...
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And our friends in the room tonight.... All in their mid-twenties....
One friend who grew up with no father, and whose sister died as a young woman just a few years ago.
Another friend who grew up fatherless.
Another whose daddy died when she was little.
Another whose mother died just a few years ago.
Another whose mother got brain-damage when he was growing up, and could no longer be a mother to him.
Another whose dad just took off about 4 years ago, and hasn't heard from him since.
WOW, Lord?
This is just TOO much.
Seems like an extraordinary amount of brokenness for a group of long-time friends, who are still SO young to have THAT much heart-ache among them.
And now this, too, Lord?
REALLY hard to understand....
REALLY hard to take in....
Carrisa
We went to a Christmas party at Carla and Anthony's. It was a normal night. Everyone was having a good time, and just chatting and relaxing and enjoying each-other's company. Dear friends. Precious times.
More precious than we could ever know....
Carrisa was all smiles. She looked beautiful - all dressed up for Christmas with friends. She mentioned feeling funny because of all the vitamins she had taken just prior to coming to the party. She mentioned feeling an anxiety attack possibly coming on. She mentioned her gluten sensitivity. Things not out of the ordinary for Carrisa to talk about.... Things that I now wonder about, but at the time seemed common-place.
8:15pm - Seth and I and James decided to head home, since our babysitter was waiting at our house with Josiah.
I fell asleep with James in his bed.
Then I woke up to the phone ringing.
Seth had answered.
It was Jessica. Something terrible had happened.
Everyone else had still been hanging out. They were just playing board-games. Out of NO WHERE, Carrisa just passed out. She wasn't breathing. She barely had a pulse. She was being taken by ambulance to the hospital right then.
We prayed.
We cried.
We couldn't believe it.
What in the world????
About a half an hour later, we got a call from Carla -
"Carrisa is in heaven"
WHAT?!!!!!!!!?????
It all happened so fast!
So hard to believe.
------------------------------------------------------
How much can one family be expected to endure, Lord?
--------------------------------------------------------
Carrisa's brother died as a teenager several years ago. Her father taken, also, from cancer, before that. Four living siblings left behind tonight. And her grief-FILLED mother. And her 18-month old daughter. Josiah's age exactly. We were giving birth at the same time, in the same hospital, with the same group of friends visiting us.
Seems like yesterday...
------------------------------------------------------
And our friends in the room tonight.... All in their mid-twenties....
One friend who grew up with no father, and whose sister died as a young woman just a few years ago.
Another friend who grew up fatherless.
Another whose daddy died when she was little.
Another whose mother died just a few years ago.
Another whose mother got brain-damage when he was growing up, and could no longer be a mother to him.
Another whose dad just took off about 4 years ago, and hasn't heard from him since.
WOW, Lord?
This is just TOO much.
Seems like an extraordinary amount of brokenness for a group of long-time friends, who are still SO young to have THAT much heart-ache among them.
And now this, too, Lord?
REALLY hard to understand....
REALLY hard to take in....
2 comments:
Oh friend... I know it's a lot. Loss seems to be the road that the Lord has taken us on over the years as well. I don't always get it either. It has been several years since my mom passed away and although I can see with my eyes an abundance of ways in which the Lord has used His taking away for good, for His glory, there are still days that her being gone is simply heart breaking. 10 years later and I still cry tears over her not being here. Each one of our seven children's births all without her there. Each one of our triumphs, each one of our failures, longing for her wisdom, longing for her presence.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Just wanted you to know that Joey and I are thinking about you and talking with the Lord on your behalf today.
Sure do love you guys. :)
This is heartbreaking...i just keep thinking about her beautiful Norah and how much she loved her. Praying for you all today.
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