The tough questions....

I spent New Year's Eve in the hospital with a few other ladies.  A mutual friend lost her 17 year old son at 8:30 that night.  He was struck from behind by another 17 year old boy who was driving his truck down the wrong side of the road, where Zach and his friend were walking to a friend's house.  I don't think I will ever forget the sound of pure pain I heard when the EMS guys told my friend that Zach had died.  Every parent's worst nightmare.  So many people affected by this accident.  And, that is exactly what it appeared to be - no alcohol, no drugs, no excess speed, just a dark road, some headlights from a 4 wheeler in a nearby field that temporarily blinded the driver, and two boys walking who simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  When I went into the room to be with my friend, she was crumpled in a heap on the floor, alternately denying the truth, and blaming herself.  At one point she said, "I asked God to make him OK, why isn't he OK?"  Who has an answer for that question?  Of course, all the "pat" answers came to mind: "God has a plan.  Zach is in a better place, free from pain."  But, I couldn't bring myself to say those things, nor do I think she would have been receptive to anything I had to say, such was the state of her grief.  So, I got her a pillow and blanket, rubbed her back, and cried with her.  And, all I could think about was how very hard it must be to have a child ripped from your life unexpectedly.  I believe in God, and that He controls the events in our lives.  I have no doubt that His plan is better than any I could come up with on my own.  But my heart hurts for all the people who were affected by this accident.  The driver of the truck, the driver of the 4-wheeler, the boy walking with Zach, and, of course all of those boys' families and friends.  Such a tragedy.