A Very Tough Day

There was a tragic farming accident in our community last night.

A 17 year old young man was using a tractor to pull a truck out of the mud on his family farm. The tractor flipped and the young man was pinned. He succumbed to his injuries.

This was the news that greeted me amongst the many tear streaked faces as I arrived at work this morning. He was a grade 12 student at our high school.

Another one of our students was with this young man when the accident occurred.

As you can imagine, the grief was wide spread and deep.

I did not know this young man and unfortunately most of the students did not know me well enough to allow me to be much of a support to them...but I can say as a whole, the staff were very compassionate and caring with the students, despite many suffering their own grief.

Grief in a small community like a school is so all encompassing. Whether or not you knew the student directly, you were affected, because someone you did know, knew him and was heartbroken.

Add in the spiritual dynamic and by lunch time, it was becoming difficult to even breathe in the school. I spoke with a mom who called to allow her girls to go home. I met with the girls to make sure they were safe and would not be alone...for one it was triggering some very recent losses in her own life and the other just couldn't stand how she felt being there, (they didn't personally know the young man either). I myself, felt nauseous and on the verge of tears and understood what this girl was describing.

 I emailed and enlisted a few friends to pray at that point...THANK YOU!!!

Prayer makes a world of difference and I FELT it today.

I was not expecting anyone to serve detentions over lunch, but 7 students came and we talked openly about what was going on and why it was so hard.

Then we were able to move on to lighter topics and as I walked through the halls to go to my office, I noticed that the atmosphere had changed. Yes many students had left already so there was less crying, but the all encompassing blanket of grief that had begun to oppress had lifted. 

Please continue to pray, first for the family and loved ones of this young man. 

It is so senseless and unfair to have to bury your child.

Then for the student body, there are whispers and declarations of pain numbing through alcohol and drugs and after tomorrow we are heading in to a three day weekend. 

Pray for safety and intervention so there would be no secondary casualties as a result of the choices made in deep grief.

You may feel removed from the situation but know that your prayers are extremely effective and with them, I know the Lord will cause good to come from what the enemy is trying to use to destroy these young people.