The First Big Crash

We have experienced several days where "our world came crashing down around us".  Today marks 7 years since the first big crash happened.  

Today was the day that our world crashed.
Today was the day that evil took over our lives.
Today was the day that changed the shape of our family forever.
Today was the day that stole a grandparent from our kids.
Today was the day that our family became a front page headline.
Today was the day that a part of Stephen's soul died.
Today was the day that we will never recover from.
BUT, 
Today was also the day that we felt support like we have never known.
Today was also the day that we experienced love without boundaries.
Today was also the day that we became a part of our church even though we didn't know it at the time. 
Today was also the day that Tami, Grandma Bishop and Sheila got to walk on streets of gold and run into God's waiting arms! 
Today was the day of the first crash.

Seven years ago today, Stephen's mom Tami, His grandmother, Letannah and his aunt Sheila were all inside his parent's home in Norman.  Tami had gone to pick up her brother Bill so that her sister Sheila could take him to Shawnee to see their mom.  When she picked him up, she knew immediately he was in no state to go to their Mom's.  She drove him to her house, had him wait on the porch and asked Brent, her husband to help settle him down so she could take him home.  Stephen pulled in to the property around this time and drove to the back to start working.  

In the next few minutes, the crash began.   Bill got into the house and found a shot gun and ammunition in an upstairs closet.  He then shot and killed his two sisters and a sweet lady he had known most of his life.  He then attempted to turn the gun on Brent, his brother in law, but it jammed.  Brent was able to wrestle it away and incapacitate him.  He yelled out the back door for Stephen to help.  Stephen came into the house to try to help save his mom and grandmother, but it was too late.  They had already joined the angels.  

The following moments, days, weeks and months are really a blur.  A blur of people, funerals, police interviews, lots of food and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty and fear like we had never known.  Looking back over the last 7 years, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who truly were the hands and feet of Jesus to us and who provided for us what we didn't even know we needed.  I am also overwhelmed by the thought that even in our darkest hour, the first crash, God held us in the palm of his hand.  It certainly didn't feel like it in the middle of it, but looking back we know and can see his hand of protection and guidance.  

This crash in our world means that we will forever be rebuilding and recovering from what happened and the things that followed.  Little by little and piece by piece, slowly building our life.