10/11/2022
As many of you have heard, on Saturday, October 1st we received a call that two of our ranch crew members were tragically lost in a vehicle rollover not far from the Powderhorn. No one is ever really prepared for a call like that.
The past ten days have been difficult. Stephen and Cason were so much more than part of our workforce. They were our friends, our teammates, and our brothers in Christ. They were staples in our days. They had earned the titles of being our coworkers, buddies, playmates, participants in deep conversations, Bible study brothers, supporters in life events, wry-smiled contributors to laborious projects and monotonous tasks, low-key humorists with a steady twist of mischief, passionate "livers of life," and the invariable stars of every ranch volleyball game we ever played.
Somehow it seems that the best word to capture all of the emotions and realizations of the past week has been “bittersweet.” The bitter is obvious. We cared about these men as our own. Their loss has broken a piece of our hearts and the knowledge of the loss to their families and loved ones causes it to hurt even more deeply. It’s hard and sad and heavy and if we’re being honest, it is changing us forever. And yet for all of the bitterness that comes with grief, there is a strong, steady ribbon of sweetness and tender hope: Cason and Steve were our brothers in Christ. While apart from us, now in the fullness of God's presence they are experiencing the full love and mercy and glory of their savior in a way that makes them… whole.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 encourages us not to get lost in the sadness of loss:
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. for since we believed that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” And verse 17, “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, encourage one another with these words.”
Will you read that again? Even so, through Jesus, God will bring WITH him those who have fallen asleep. They are with Him. And thus we can have hope.
We’ve been realizing that part of what we mourn is the loss of everything we expected. We expected more time with them. We expected to see them experience more joys and special pieces of life in their hearts, relationships, work and hobbies. We expected a lot that won’t come. It’s hard to let that go. And yet as believers, isn’t that an honest yet unfounded grief? How can we grieve everything we expected here in this shadow-of-eternity life, when instead our brothers are in the absolutely tender, knowing arms of a God who loves them more deeply, more truly, and more perfectly than any of us ever could? It is good to mourn. It is good to feel so deeply that our hearts crack and tears flow. It is good to have cared for them so much that we miss their presence. And yet we do not grieve as those without hope. When we accept enough grace to see it, we are filled with joy while we hurt, because our friends and brothers are with the Lord and we have the sweet anticipation of one day joining them in His presence. We do not grieve without hope.
Steve and Cason, we will miss you genuinely.
But we will also be glad for you because we have the hope of Jesus.
We look forward with joy to the day that we will see you again and until then, we will remain forever grateful for the time and memories we have had with you here on earth.
We love you, brothers.