.Solemn Reflection.

5 years ago today, two of my friends, Shane and Taylor,

died in a car accident.

At 14, this was my first experience with the death of someone close to me. It's so easy to think that something like this will never happen to you. That the people you see on a daily basis and know so well couldn't possibly meet a tragic end, because that only happens to other people, or in the movies.

But it's not true.

Ecclesiastes 9 tells us that time and chance happen to us all. The world we live in is not perfect, and thus the things we experience in life will not always be joyous; sometimes, storms do come, and the pain can be unbearable.

I don't know why this happened. But I do know that Romans 8:28 tells us this: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God can use even the most painful and devastating circumstances to draw people into His Kingdom. Grief can be crippling, but it is in those moments that God teaches us to fully rely on His strength. 

This tragedy was a wake-up call for me. Life is short. So often I take the numerous blessings in my life for granted. I waste the time that I've been given pursuing trivial and meaningless things. Each day is a precious gift. Every moment that goes by is one that I can't get back. I want this realization to reflect in the way I live my life, in the way I treat people, whether it be an old friend or a new acquaintance.

Thank you, God, for teaching me this, even though I had to learn it through the loss of Shane and Taylor.

Remind the people around you that you love and appreciate them.

Tomorrow might be too late.

R.I.P. Shane

R.I.P. Taylor

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Shane and Taylor. May the Lord bless you and keep you.