A time...

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance."

With a heavy heart I read this scripture. For the Vogel/Stevenson families it is a time to weep and a time to mourn.

On Thursday morning Bethany Hunter Hardman was killed in a car accident.

Bethany was not related to me or David, but she was family. David's grandparents began a tradition with their friends, the Stevensons, many years ago to celebrate Thanksgiving together. This tradition began with 4 people and has grown several generations to over 50.

This wonderful family welcomed me in and called me their own as eagerly as David's family did, and on Thursday, they lost someone very dear.

Even though I have only known Bethany for a few years, I have many great memories of her! From staying up late to talk with me at Thanksgiving to many conversations on the beach in New Jersey to overhearing her sing "the wheels on the bus" to her sweet boy over and over again. To hearing her get creative with "people on the bus, chickens on the bus, pigs on the bus etc."

She always made me feel welcome and opened her heart up to me. She let me in.

She was a wonderful mama to a little boy named Noah and a sweet baby girl named Lilly.
She was a great wife to a man named Randy.
She was a precious daughter to a mom named Laura and a dad named Dave.
She was a loyal sister to men named Jeremy, Jonathan, Andrew, and Joel and sister-in-law to Joanna.
She was a priceless cousin to Katie, Dave, Kara, Luke, Zach, Jake, Lena, Jessie, and Corey.
She was a sweet grandaughter to Harry and Ann.
She was a valued niece to Cindy, Mark, Tani, and Rich.
She was a treasured friend to many.
And this is only a small portion of the people that loved her dearly.

I can only imagine the hurt that my sweet extended family must be feeling right now. It hurts so much to have lost Bethany. It hurts so much to know that she won't be there for Thanksgiving, or summer vacation, or cousins weekends. It hurts so much that I can't be with everyone right now.

I know that she is with Jesus now, but we grieve because she will be greatly missed.

Many times when tragedy strikes, we wish we could turn back time. I know there have been many times when I wished I could go back to life before cancer.

But the truth is, if you could rewind, you'd always end up back in the same place.
Life moves forward. You have to hit play.
This world is a broken, scary place. We will never fully understand why the things in our life happen the way they do, but God is sovereign over all.

The only answer, the only hope, the only way to keep going is Jesus. We will see Bethany again because of Jesus. We will find peace amidst the sadness because of Jesus.

Today we are torn down, today we weep, today we mourn, but today, Bethany is dancing with our Savior....and someday soon we will dance too.

We love you Bethany!