Things like this aren’t supposed to happen.
A 14-year-old boy isn’t supposed to drown in a homemade pond.
A parent isn’t supposed to bury their child.
8th graders aren’t supposed to go to their classmate’s funeral.
None of this is supposed to happen…but it did.
On June 6th Adam Jacob Learn, a 14-year-old heading into 9th grade, drowned in a pond in his own backyard. He was an only child and he had parents that were willing to give him the world.
If you aren’t from the area and familiar with the story you can read about it here. The story of Adam will be a story that will stick the community of Three Rivers, Michigan forever. I got the text Monday night while sitting in Orlando, Florida. It honestly took me a minute to remember that name, but as soon as I did the emotions began to swell. I may have not have been great friends with Adam, but my brother Timmy was one of his best friends. Memories of riding bikes with an adventurous kid that used to come over and play at our house started to come back. Just another one of Timmy’s crazy friends…and now he is gone.
I hadn’t shown much emotion about the tragedy all week. I flew back into Michigan Friday morning and drove with my Mom straight to the 2nd of three viewings for Adam. Walking in the viewing room I saw a sight that will stick with me for the rest of my life. A mother lying over an open coffin petting her sons face while her husband hugs her balling his eyes out while simply yelling one word – ‘why?’
Why?
It’s easy to teach, preach, and write about the answer to the ‘why’ question when you aren’t part of the specific story. To quote scripture and pray for families who are struggling through a rough time is not hard when you don’t know the individual who was lost. However, when you have a personal connection, EVERYTHING changes. Truths that you have believed come into question. Theology that you thought was solid begins to shake. The way you’ve interpreted scripture looks blurry. The way you pray even begins to change.
Standing in line at the visitation and witnessing this spine-chilling scene brought me to tears. I didn’t even know what to think. So I had a conversation with God and asked Him the question that I heard the father screaming.
Why?
God: Josiah, who am I?
Me: You’re God.
God: Josiah, who am I?
Me: I just told you, you’re God.
God: Josiah, who am I?
Me: What’s you’re point? (I tend be speak pretty honestly with Him)
God: Josiah, what do you see when you see Vicky and Monty crying over their son?
Me: Love
God: Exactly. Love is who I am. Love is what I know. Love is what I give. Trust me…in the end, Love wins.
This past week has been one of the most tragic weeks in the history of Three Rivers. A family lost their only son. A class lost a friend. A city lost a citizen. The earth lost a life.
However…heaven gained a soul. What was rightfully Gods is now wholly His. Adam has now walked though the gates of Love and stood face to face with His creator. For Adam, Love won.
God has a big chest. He can handle our questions, our anger, our bitterness, and our emotions. At the end of the day my prayer is this:
God, may we see Love in the face of tragedy. Not Love as an emotion, but Love as a person. Jesus, show yourself so that at the end of the day when we run out of tears we can hear you say, “I love you.”
R.I.P Adam.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV)