This time of year brings a mix of emotions. Five years ago, on November 28, the day after Thanksgiving, we received news that would change our lives forever. My dad called me home- David and I were registering for our upcoming wedding- and I knew something was wrong, very wrong. I called and called my sister on that drive home. She didn’t answer and my stomach had a terrible, sick feeling. My parents’ faces and words suffocated our hearts-Natalee died. Words are hardly adequate to describe the intense emotion of that day and the days to follow. Our sweet Natalee, beautiful, joyful, carefree, in love with her Savior-gone? Utter disbelief and a stabbing pain of overwhelming sorrow flooded our beings.
Oh-how does one get through such a time? How can the Lord be good and allow this? How can he be trusted? Our hearts scream, it isn’t right! She was only twenty, so young, healthy, active-with a heart full of love for others and for her Savior. She wanted to marry Shane, be a missionary in Kenya, and raise six children. It isn’t supposed to be this way! I must remind myself that no, this was not God’s original design. And God agrees-it’s not supposed to be this way. world once was perfect- a paradise free from all evil. But because of the fall, our once perfect earth became infiltrated with evil-famine, destruction, sickness, disease, hate, murder, genocide, death. All of which the Lord detests. But…as Blaise’s Jesus Storybook Bible reminds us:
God loved his children too much to let the story end there [Adam and Eve punished and kicked out of the garden-a perfect paradise]. Even though he knew he would suffer, God had made a plan-a magnificent dream. One day, he would get his children back. One day, he would make the world their perfect home again. And one day, he would wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Natalee’s death, and all other pain and evil, isn’t right and is not how it’s supposed to be. It is a result of something gone terribly wrong. But- there is hope admits the sorrow. I know, with great joy and anticipation, that I will see my sister again because of our love for the same Savoir who died and who promises restoration to this broken world.
And the King says, “Look! God and his children are together again. No more running away. Or hiding, No more crying or being lonely or afraid. No more being sick or dying. Because all those things are gone. Yes, they’re gone forever. Everything sad has come untrue. And see-I have wiped away ever tear form every eye!” And then a deep, beautiful voice that sounded like thunder in the sky says, “Look! I am making everything new!”
And this, indeed, is reason for joyous Thanksgiving! When we can’t give thanks because of our circumstances, we can look to the cross where God sent his only son to be our sacrifice for our sins and all evil, and then praise him for his goodness and the undeserved grace he generously gives us.
You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children-with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love. And though they would forget him, and run from him, deep in their hearts, God’s children would miss him always and long for him-lost children yearning for their home. Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: “It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I’m going to do battle against the snake. I’ll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I’m coming back for you!”
Jesus loves me- a sinner who turns for him daily- that much! What wonderful, undeserving grace he has lavished on us!
"O give thanks unto the LORD for He is good, his love endures forever."
Quotations taken from The Jesus Storybook Bible. By Sally Llody-Jones. Zonderkids, 2007.
Black&white pictures are taken by Synergy Photography. Kristen was friends with Natalee.
*I don't have many digital copies of Natalee pictures at my house otherwise I would post more of them! *
