Why?

As y'all know, my life was changed forever by a drunk driving crashed that killed my first husband, Mike Dean, almost 20 years ago.  It is not something you ever "get over", you just get through it.

Last night I learned that a Mom from Wichita Falls, TX lost her only remaining child yesterday morning.  Debbie Horton went in to wake up her son, Jason, whose alarm kept ringing.  She found him not breathing and tried CPR.  Jason didn't make it.

I can't imagine her pain.  I can't imagine how she can breathe.  I can't imagine how she grieves for Renee and now, Jason.

I asked, "Why?"  I'm not going to get an answer here on Earth.  But even in the midst of intense heartbreak for this mom, I am thrilled to see that so many friends and acquaintances have posted prayers and deep concern for Debbie (Remembering Renee Horton Facebook page).  The thing is, we all get busy and we get so consumed in our own day-to-day business that we forget to keep encouraging one another.  We forget that her pain (and that of a number of my friends who have lost loved ones recently) isn't going to subside anytime soon.

I'm committing to doing a better job of sending cards, posting encouraging messages, stopping for a minute to say a prayer, and generally caring more for those who I say I care about.  I'm busy...but I'm not too busy to do what I should do for my friends and acquaintances.  Are you?

When the wind blew

Last Sunday was a really windy day (for proof, look at my hair in the picture below!).  I--and tens of thousands of other football fans at Kyle Field--appreciated it because it was a really hot day.  If not for the wind, the weather would have been unbearable for many.

And even though we at the football game appreciated the wind blowing, that same Texas wind was wreaking havoc across our great state.  

Even as we drove to the football stadium, we saw the beginnings of a grass fire in south College Station.  That was a scary sight! An immediate concern I had was, "What will happen if a disaster takes place at the University?"  Most of the first reponders were headed to the grass fire and the major road into town was closed due to poor visibility from the smoke.  Fortunately, everything appeared to go smoothly at the game.

Little did I realize how the wind we were enjoying was igniting wild fires in Bastrop, just 70 miles from College Station.  The gusty winds from the outskirts of tropical storm Lee fanned the fires and they were out of hand in a matter of hours.  As of today, over 800 homes and ranches have been lost just in that area of the state.  Other nearby wildfires have also caused families to be displaced, livestock to die and millions of acres to go up in flames.

It seems ironic...the wind that soothed us in College Station, caused thousands of others to be torn apart.  It's like that in many areas of our life.  The one thing that soothes us--be it alcohol, drugs, or other addictions--usually causes pain for others.