Rachel

2 Corinthians 5:6-9

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

I have opened this up several times in the last 24 hours and just haven't been able to write.

We found out yesterday that our dear friends Mike & Karen lost their only child.

Rachel.

She was killed in a head-on car accident Friday afternoon.

We are all just so stunned.

Mike and Karen lived here for five years and attended our church. They moved to Oklahoma after Rachel graduated so they could be near her as she attended college. She was such a HUGE part of their lives. I just cannot imagine the void.

Rachel always had that smile on her face that you see in the picture. I can hear her laugh. I can hear her probably because she is laughing with Jesus, who she loved with all her heart. She and Caleb and Megan were like brother and sisters.

Rachel -- thank you for being such an encourager to our family. Thank you for helping Caleb through a painful time in his life and for encouraging him to move on to try a new chapter. Thank you for being Megan's sister. She is aching because she hasn't talked to you for a long time. I pray that Megan gets peace about that. Megan still has the picture you drew of her on her wall in her room. I remember the time (or times?) that you and your mom showed up at our door while you were out for a run needing the bathroom and a drink of water. Now you have finished The Race. Praise God!

I have so many more memories, but I just can't write anymore right now.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Revelation 21:1-4