Heavy Heart -

    Cyndi came walking in this morning, asking me who the Levi Fra___s was that had died.
My heart quivered. It couldn't be. Tentatively I questioned her, "what do you mean?"
    "On Face-book every-bodies posting tributes about Levi Fra___s cuz he died."
     "Like who?"
     "Well, Terri just posted ... and Rachel ... and everybody from up here is talking about it all over Face-book."
     My heart became a very very heavy quivering mess.
     My brain refused to accept it, so I told her I would go turn my computer on and see what I could learn. I was desperately hoping that there were two so named people ...
     Before my computer was totally logged on, Byron was on the phone with Aunt Brenda. Yes, it was the guy we know. She also knew some 'details'.
      I found a prayer request email from the church in my in-box.

     By the time all of this was done, I skipped my shower and just headed to my doctor's appointment. Fighting tears the whole way.
      I not only knew whom Levi was, I LOVED the 'kid'!!! And had told him so on numerous occasions.
      The tears I was fighting were not only over that loss, but they grew harder to fight and my heart became laden even more, when I thought about Levi's parents and siblings. We know them too. We consider them friends. Oh Lord...so much sorrow.

      I believe Levi was 22 years old. This fall he had transferred from Ferris State University to a local Bible College. His smile was such a heart warming one. His whit could be wonderfully dolled out.

       Our younger two sons were close to the family. They had helped them move recently, had done a roofing project, as well as other things over the years. Byron reported that when Brandon got up (he had worked an overnight shift) and read the news on his phone, he just started bawling. That is not an a-typical Brandon response to life!

       God's timing never ceases to amaze me. As I was sitting in the doctors examining room, I looked up and read the quote on the calender hanging on the wall - "Consciousness remains even after illusion appears and disappears into the either from whence it came..."
      That's heavy Lord.

       Brian had the radio playing the oldies station after we left my appointment. Suddenly 'The Grass Roots' song was playing. You know, the one who's chorus starts with, o/~ "1, 2, 3, 4 - Sh na na na Live for today... Sh na na na Live for today, Cuz tomorrow" and I inserted "might not co-ome your way". o/~

        My heart is still ever so heavy and I can not even begin to imagine what his parents are dealing with / feeling / etc..

       And yet all of us are resting in the knowledge that Levi had accepted Christ as his personal Savior, and thus, he is now in heaven and we shall see him again when we get there.
       If you don't fully understand that last paragraph, or it doesn't ring true if you were the one to die, then P-L-E-A-S-E scroll down to the picture at the very bottom of our home page and follow the instructions listed there in.

      How did Levi die?  He was on the highway headed into town to school this morning when a deer entered the highway, was struck by another car, somehow flipping it into the air and into Levi's path / or onto his car (?). He lost control and died instantly upon impact with a tree.
     An event which could happen to anybody. Hey, I've even spotted deer along the roads in Chicago!

     Levi, you shall be remembered and missed. Levi's parents - we are praying that you will feel the Lord's arms around you. That He will strengthen you, draw you even closer both to him as well as to one another, and that he shall allow both his comfort as well as the comfort from those of us that love you to penetrate the deep fog you must be fighting.

     Again, we'd like to encourage every single person whom reads this post, to scroll down to the picture at the bottom of our home page.