Lives changed
It’s been a while since I posted. I want to get better about it. It is very healing for me and I hope it is encouraging for someone out there reading!
2 years ago we sat in a small courtroom facing another hard day. 2 years ago the driver, Brendon, took responsibility for his actions and pled guilty to intoxication manslaughter. He agreed to the plea deal of 15 years. Many have the opinion this wasn’t enough, that maybe he should spend a lifetime in jail. The movies make it seem like that guilty verdict or sentence is a weight lifted, that it helps ease the heartache. It was far from that. It wasn’t a victory for us, it was another heartbreaking day. We knew that this sentence meant a wife and two young kids were having to step into a season that we couldn’t ever imagine. Two kids having to grow up without their dad in the home, a wife raising them alone. His mom and other family grieving a different kind of loss. His sentence doesn’t bring Aspen back. Nothing on any side of this is “fair” or “feels good”. We find peace in knowing God is in control and is using both side of this story for good.
I’ve watched what God has done over the last 2 years. Brendon is a changed man. He gave his life to Jesus and that is everything for us. Brendon continues to share his story & to grow closer to God. He made a mistake that night. None of us are better than him, our mistakes are just different and by the grace of God haven’t had the same consequences. One drink, one night driving exhausted, one glance at a phone, one moment distracted-all of these have the potential to end in the same devastation.
2 years ago I could have never imagined that I would be in relationship with his family. That his mom and I would develop a type of relationship that could only be described as God-ordained. That we would become each others prayer partner-praying through the hard days-on both sides of this story while also celebrating the victories!
2 years ago I didn’t have the amazing friendships that I have now with so many people God has brought into my life since then. Our heros and now family Trooper Will and Trooper Cody, Jill & Kristi-(my constant encouragers), many TxDOT, DPS and APD friends that we consider family (and that family continues to grow across the state!). We’ve seen lives changed, chains broken, forgiveness extended, and freedom overtake the darkness.
Is it still hard-yes, there are still days my soul is crushed, days I don’t want to get out of bed, days I want to give up because change isn’t happening quickly enough, days that a small part of me wishes I could reverse time and change what happened, but then I would have missed all of the blessings from the hard, all of the true beauty from the ashes. I would have missed seeing lives changed forever and eternity is the one thing that makes all of the hard worth it!
God is continuing to weave a beautiful tapestry. One with ribbons of grief, joy, darkness, light, victory, freedom, pain, rejoicing and when it’s complete, it will be a masterpiece. God isn’t done with what He started. While we miss Aspen to the depths of our being and will until we are reunited, we trust that even in this-a journey that Satan meant for our destruction, that God is continuing to win the battle. He is winning the battle for hearts to turn to Him. I like to imagine the moment-standing in Heaven, Jesus on one side, Aspen on the other, and us getting to see the lives changed forever from one moment. Brendon, and his family will one day be part of that view as well. Generations changed forever. Aspen’s ripple-her life, her legacy, will impact generations.
The ripple effect of your life, your choices and how you choose to respond when things get hard continues far beyond what you can imagine. Love those around you, forgive! (It is so worth it, I promise!), chase after Jesus, share your story-because we all have one that matters and live your life in a way that you leave a legacy of positive change behind!
Please continue to not only pray for our family, but pray for Brendon and his family. Prison is hard, single parenting is hard, pray for his sweet babies. Thank you for loving us. Please don’t stop! Just because we seem like life is “normal”, the days can still be exhausting. Thank you for allowing me to share our journey with you.