Friends, we made it through another day without our beloved Aimee yesterday. I don't know how long we'll be counting days, and sometimes even hours, of moving forward with our lives. I want to thank all of you who have been praying and asking others to pray, to those who have spoken or written condolences, for our very closest friends and family that have served us here at home- cleaning, answering calls and doors, making arrangements, taking the children out, and doing anything else that needed to be done. Thank you for all the offers of help.
Unless you've experienced this, you can not imagine what this is like, and should not even try. The service on Friday will be powerful and give us some sense of closure, but a large part of me is dreading the flood of emotion and having to say goodbye again. I am also dreading having to move on to "normal" life, because it feels like it won't ever be normal again without Aimee. Everywhere I go there will be reminders that she is not here. On the other hand, I know God is walking with me and my family both spiritually and through the hands and feet of all those he has put around us. Yesterday, He enabled us to go with our pastor and speak with the family of the young woman who was the driver. They are also deeply grieving, but they too share our faith in Jesus as Lord. Please, please pray for Elizabeth. She was not emotionally capable of meeting with us herself, which we completely understood. But we were able to speak to her parents, and they will pass on our words to her. Elizabeth has, God willing, a long life ahead of her and my prayer is that Satan will not even get a toehold on her through this, but that God will redeem this to His glory. We can't (in this life) fully understand how that works, but we've seen abundant evidence of His mercy and grace. If you know me at all, you know that I am not comfortable with strangers and am quiet around those I don't know but God enabled me to speak with these people I only barely knew and to not fall to pieces in front of them. He had strongly placed on my heart that it needed to be done and He provided all we needed to be able to do it.
One thing I have not yet been able to do is walk to the end of the drive to the little memorial that people have lovingly set up there near where the accident happened. Maybe today. I don't know how I'm going to be able to drive past and over where it happened. The thought paralyzes me. Please pray.
Pray also that God will block out the tragic images as well as the "if-onlys" and "what-ifs" that keep coming to plague us- especially the children and most especially Aidan, Kayleigh and, of course, Elizabeth. Tartan has explained to Aidan more than once that God knew of Monday's events even before the world began; that he had measured Aimee's life before life even came into existence; that she has the great joy that Paul said he longed for when he said in Philippians 1:21 "'For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.'" After serving God by pouring out her joy to everyone she encountered, she has been given the far better.
How am I going to move on past Friday? How am I going to pick up the school books, drive to the dance studio, grocery shop? I think maybe I understand Elijah better, who could in faith call down fire to the altar of God and yet ran away and hid in terror from an angry Jezebel. I know that many friends are willing to help do anything and everything we need done, however I don't want to just become a hermit- as appealing as that actually looks to me right now. I suppose it will have to be a process. A couple of days ago I was wondering how I was ever going to stop crying. The tears have slowed.
I will bring this post to an end with the verse that has been hanging on our wall for years, but that suddenly caught Tartan's eye last night. "But we know that for those who love Him, for those called in agreement with His purpose, God makes all things work together for good" Romans 8:28
Amen.
Naomi
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Rest in Joy with Jesus
It is with great sadness that we have to tell you that our youngest daughter, sweet Aimee Katherine, has been called home to the Lord after an accident in front of our house. She slipped away from us and into the loving arms of her Jesus yesterday afternoon. Kyrie often wrote "Jesus Loves Me" on Aimee's hand, much to her delight. She would always be sad when it washed away and she'd say sorrowfully, "My Jesus is gone." We always told her that He was never gone and now she will be in His wonderful presence forever and she knows that He was never gone, but always with her.
She brought such joy to us and everyone she met in her three short years. We are so thankful for every moment we had with her. Please pray for us, and especially her brothers and sisters, as we walk through the long grieving process. We do not grieve as the world does, without hope, but we do grieve. I cannot imagine going through this without God beside us, giving us the strength we do not have- but it is still very, very hard.
We love you, Aimee, and we miss you so much. Until we meet again.
She brought such joy to us and everyone she met in her three short years. We are so thankful for every moment we had with her. Please pray for us, and especially her brothers and sisters, as we walk through the long grieving process. We do not grieve as the world does, without hope, but we do grieve. I cannot imagine going through this without God beside us, giving us the strength we do not have- but it is still very, very hard.
We love you, Aimee, and we miss you so much. Until we meet again.
| 2008 - 2012 | |||
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Eagle Scout Speech
Well, as most of you should know, the oldest son of the Collier family received his Eagle Scout Award this summer. Yes, it was the greatest day of my young life! Since then, I've received several requests to post the speech I gave at my award ceremony, and I dealt with them maturely and decisively by procrastinating on the matter for months. Because that is apparently what I do.
But no longer! Here, for the first time in print, is my speech.
- Tartan A. Collier
But no longer! Here, for the first time in print, is my speech.
As a very young boy, I read my father's old Scout handbooks, and I learned that he was an Eagle Scout, and I said to myself, I wish I could be an Eagle. When I joined Scouting as a young Webelos, that was the shining, far-off goal that I aspired to, and I had the luck of meeting some amazing young Eagles when I was only a Tenderfoot. They acted as inspirations for me as I continued on, earning merit badges and advancing through the ranks of Scouting. Over the years, my goal became less of an abstraction and more of a reality, and I got the chance to really understand the ideals of Scouting as I sought to achieve the pinnacle of Scouting. Looking back to those old Scout handbooks, I can see that the ideals of Scouting are visible through all of them, from the oldest to the newest. Be prepared, do a good turn daily, respect the outdoors, and make the most of yourself that you can. I've learned, through Scouting, on my Trail to Eagle, that there's a difference between saying that you believe in something and actually acting it out through service to others. I learned that there's more to people than first meets the eye, and I've learned that I'm more capable in the outdoors than I thought I would be. I've learned about leadership, and that the best leader is not self-serving but a servant who helps everyone around him; I've learned that procrastination is evil, which is why I had this speech written before today, and I've learned that cheerful service to others is much more rewarding than it first seems. I've learned that, through personal diligence and the support of my loved ones, I can achieve my dreams. Because that's what this award is, to me. Most of all, I've learned that becoming an Eagle isn't only an honor, it's a responsibility. It's a promise to myself, to everyone who's helped me, that I won't forget everything I've learned here in Scouting. That I will live by the Scout Oath and Law. That I will do my best to do my duty, to God and my country. That's what being an Eagle means to me. Thank you.
- Tartan A. Collier
Saturday, 6 August 2011
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