Matt Turner

It's unnatural, the death of someone so young. I think we all hope for a long, healthy life. If not for ourselves, then for our loved ones and our friends.

In this case, he was a son...a brother...a husband...a young father...a friend to many.

A tragedy.

It's not right.

When my Mom died at age 59, my Grandmother was distraught. No amount of love or counsel from pastors, family or friends would comfort her.

She was no stranger to loss. She had lost a sister, her parents, two husbands...and countless friends.

This was different.

She said that parents should not outlive their children; that it was wrong no matter how old they were. She never got over it. She spent the remainder of her days grieving, her mind in turmoil. The "what-ifs" ate at her daily. On more than one occasion, she said she would gladly have given up her life in exchange for my Mom's.

But it doesn't work that way, does it?

God sees life differently. The Bible says it's a "vapor (James 4:14)," a "breath (Job 7:7, Ps 39:5)." That "better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere (Ps 84:10)." That to be "absence from the body, is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:6)." In 2 Corinthians 4: 16-18, the Bible speaks of  "light and momentary affliction...that will produce for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison..."

Why does it hurt so bad?

Death is just hard...on the ones who remain. The husband? He is in Heaven. But his young wife, what is she to do? Even with her strong faith, how will she ever pick up the pieces of her life? Because it's more than the loss of him...it's the loss of a companion, a soul-mate, a friend; the influence of a Godly husband and father; the plans of raising their daughter, growing a family...growing old. Together.

Now what?

I've been reading the book by Angie Smith entitled, "Mended." In it, she tells the story of shattering a vase, and then trying to glue it back together. It was a painstaking process, but of course, it didn't go back the way it was. It couldn't. She would argue it wasn't meant to. Some of the pieces never fit back right. It left cracks and scars. Places you could see through. Angie says she felt God telling her that the cracks were places where He could seep out of her life.

For those who knew Matt Turner, who know his wife, Julee and baby Preslee...this is a big crack in Julee's "vase." In her life. In the lives of his Mom, brother, co-workers and friends.

Big, big crack.

Use it, Lord...because otherwise...in our human eyes, it would seem like such a waste.

Comfort them as only You can.

And use us all in that process...

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones." Psalm 116:15