heavy heart

This past Saturday, on Mitchell's 19th birthday, some of his friends got in a terrible car accident. His very close friend, Ryan, was driving and didn't survive the crash. He was pronounced brain dead and his family pulled the plug on Sunday morning. There was no alcohol involved. As far as they know, Ryan hit a slippery spot and lost control of the car. A 100% accident.

The two passengers were Adam's baseball players. Chris is currently in stable condition in the hospital, but they won't know the extent of his brain injuries until the swelling goes down in a few days. His family has started a blog detailing his progress here. And Tyler was able to walk away with merely a concussion.

There were a fair share of deaths when I was in high school, but I don't really remember them affecting me. Maybe because when you're in high school and it happens, you still think you're invincible. You still think that it could never happen to you. Because, you know, in high school we knew everything and it was so annoying when our parents gave us any type of advice. Like they would know?

I think this hit me so hard because I keep thinking that it could have so easily been Mitchell in that car. They just graduated high school in May and have their whole life in front of them. Sadly, Ryan's was cut drastically short. I didn't really know him, other than making him pose for a picture with me a prom, but from what I've heard he was always making people laugh and just loved life. He would have loved college. It's just such a harsh reminder that life really is so short and can be taken from you in the blink of an eye. We are not guaranteed anything. And in these circumstances, although it's hard to comprehend, even this tragedy is part of His plan. 

Please pray for the Aschenbach family as they mourn the loss of their sweet kid, Ryan. Pray for Chris to have the strength to pull through his injuries and lead a full life. Pray that his doctors and nurses make the right decisions in the most crucial times. Pray for peace for the Heitzman family as they watch their son lie in the hospital bed without a definite prognosis. Pray that Tyler feels no guilt for walking away unscathed. Pray for the entire Lassiter Nation as they mourn the loss of a close friend, student, teammate. 

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." - Matthew 5:4