I would like to be able to write hopeful things, on this hopeful day of Resurrection remembrance, about our chances of being able to save lives. But the fact of the matter is that, unless a miracle occurs, it is likely to be Second Verse Same As The First, A Little Bit Louder And A Little Bit Worse. Followed by Third Verse and so on. . . ad nauseam.

The day after Easter in 2013, just a month before our crash, I shared a song with friends. I wrote about it a year later on facebook:

One of the really true and hopeful things about that song is in the last verse:

No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand!

But, as true as that may be in the spiritual sense (because AnnaLeah and Mary will be with their Lord and Savior forever to infinity and beyond; they are where they belong), it is most certainly also true that sin, death, and the devil can wreak havoc in our lives here on earth–including the careless and callous attitudes and actions that contribute to traffic crash deaths.

Oh, I understand that by the grace of God I can endure the pain and grief which has come upon me as a result. And maybe I can even be a tool in His hand to ameliorate the situation just a little.

But the forces of darkness that rage against genuine efforts to end senseless traffic deaths are truly powerful and scheming. It is only because I believe that it is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit that we could ever prevail that I press on boldly calling ever more loudly:

Our stories show the world that this violence has to end.
But the forces up against us make it hard to score a win.
Yet we’ll climb up this mountain of grief once again.
Weeping is our strength; let this battle begin.

Fight then, wherever you may be,
To protect us all
From the end-that-shouldn’t-be.
As we join together against this enemy,
We will find the way to victory.

Lyrics: from the broken heart of a mother (remembering the peace and joy of AnnaLeah and Mary)

Tune: Simple Gifts

and  Lord of the Dance

We rescue; Jesus saves.