Sad, but Beautiful

Head on over to my sister Leigh's blog to read first hand the sad part, but I have to tell you a beautiful story that has really touched my heart. First, a little background info. Leigh has a thirteen year old daughter that she has been having some trouble with. You can read about it here. She has gone to spend this week with her father in Florida. She got some money for her birthday and had planned to buy herself a new digital camera yesterday. Kayla, Leigh's daughter, received word Thursday that one of her best friends was in a car accident and was in a medically-induced coma. Yesterday, she called her mom and asked her to verify the latest information that she heard concerning Haley: that she had been pronounced brain dead. Leigh called and did in fact verify that information. On the phone Kayla told Leigh that she was not going to buy the digital camera after all. She was going to use her money to buy flowers and a teddy bear for Haley. I cry as I write this at the beauty of her unselfishness. See, you don't know Kayla. She has a very big heart, but she also loves to get her way. Sometimes one is blinded by the attitude and is unable to see that inner beauty. But she is so beautiful--inside and out.

I pray for her because I am all too aware of the pain of losing a friend. To a teenager, this is devastating. Heck, to an adult this is devastating. I remember being in college and hearing the news that my best friend's boyfriend had been killed in a car accident. We had company at the time, and I spent the next few hours in the bathroom crying. Even thinking now about that night when I found out Shane was gone is painful (13 years later). Just this school year I witnessed first hand the pain. A 16 yo GHS student was killed in a car wreck. Oh my gosh. It was horrible, even though I did not know her. She was the ex-girlfriend of my oldest, tough-guy nephew. He absolutely lost it when he heard of Amy's death.

Life is too short, people. I was reminded many times last night of Haley when I was frustrated with the never-ending demands of my own children. How quickly it can all be taken away. I am reduced to tears every time I think of how Haley's parents must feel. I had just finished talking to Amy's grandmother yesterday when Leigh called with the news.

We do not always understand the way that God works. We do not understand why people are called home to be with our Father. But this is what I do know: God would not take her without a greater purpose. While that may not be consolation to her family and friends, I just pray that whatever God's purpose was in taking Haley, that something positive will come from it, in some way.