Let Us Pray

Last week was as an eye-opening week as I have had in a very long time. For three solid days that weekend, each day was filled with a phone call that would be bring both scary and awful news. None of the news was related and honestly, after it was all over, it was kind of like an outer body experience.

Saturday morning, I would receive a call from one of my co-worker’s/dear friend's family, letting me know that my co-worker had been in a bad car accident. She was hurt pretty bad, banged up and bruised up, black eyes, swollen face and her whole left side was bruised and sore. I have never been so thankful to know someone was alright! I cooked her up a pot of chicken and rice and took it to her Monday morning, and while she said she looked better than after it first happened – her injuries were still very apparent. But she survived and she is going to be alright.

Saturday night I received a call about 8pm. My youngest son was working a prescribed burn in Pensacola Florida and had been there about five days already at the time of the call. It was from a co-worker, calling to tell me first and foremost, that my son and his crew were alright, but that another crew member from another forestry team had just been killed and my son, being his burn partner was unfortunately a witness to his death. He’s 24 years old, but I don’t care what age you are in life, those sights cannot be unseen and the memory will be with you forever. The gentleman who died leaves behind a wife and three children, he was only 38 years old himself. By the time you are reading this, my son will have traveled back to Pensacola for his funeral.

And the following Sunday I received a company-wide text about a man and his wife, residents of Bristol Florida, who were electrocuted working a clean-up day at the local high school. The father also worked with/for another company who our company is affiliated with in business, and it was quite the horrific shock for us all. The couple leaves behind 3 children as well, and I am told, a large family in Bristol that should be a wonderful support system for their children.

I spent a lot of time afterward, thinking about these three horrible events – all unrelated - but all heartbreaking none the less. It’s times like those that so many old sayings come to mind. Every day is a gift, and be thankful for every day that you are able to open your eyes and know you’re still alive, and the best, tell someone you love them today, tomorrow is not promised. 

I can’t imagine the heartache that is running rampant in Pensacola and Bristol Florida. I can’t imagine all of these children losing their parent(s) and how they will manage without them. I don’t know how one goes about moving forward. All I, we, can do is pray. Pray for them all as hard as we can and know that the good Lord had a plan all along.