Loss

In life we all face loss. On Sunday night we found out that 2 teenagers (a senior and a college freshman) connected with our church and student ministry died in a car wreck. Watching our students deal with loss has been difficult. Our volunteer team has even struggled as we wrestled with how to help our teens through the process. Loss hurts in any situation but when it comes to loss of life there is a deeper pain. When we lose those we love, we are confronted with the reality that this life is short...is not permanent...is a gift. We are now in the the middle of grieving and hurting with these families but as we mourn together we grow stronger. As I have reflected about this time of loss here are some things we are striving to remind teens...

• Life is short // We say this all the time but in times of loss we are faced with the reality of our own mortality. Over and over we have heard teens and adults reflect on the brevity of life. Our team is just trying to help teens learn from this loss. Life is short and the reality of that truth is in our face this week.
• God is present // It's during times of loss we long for the presence of God more than ever. God is not just present when things are going well. God is present in the hurricane of pain that death forces on us. This week our message is simple..God is with us.
• Relationships matter // Times of loss remind us that we need each other. Teens simply want to be together. For our team, the importance of the small group leader is elevated in times of loss. The consistent relationship a small group leader has with students really matters when teens face the hurt of losing a friend.

We have been reminded this week that we don't have all the answers. We are not in control. We also know we can't explain why. What we can do is simply be present as students face loss head on. We will point people to Jesus who saves and hope that sustains.