I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,
so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Love, Mom
I read these verses this morning and immediately thought of AnnaLeah and Mary. I had been planning on writing a post on April 28, the day of Mary’s Confirmation Questioning in 2013–the Sunday before our crash on May 4–though she never went through her formal Confirmation Service (was to have been in June).
I am thankful for the life and faith of AnnaLeah and Mary Lydia and that they are eagerly awaiting the revelation of their Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, who will confirm them to the end, until we all–together–stand in His presence. Joy unspeakable!
No matter who causes a truck crash, the victims pay the price. This country needs to understand that there is a better way to resolve traffic safety problems than through a political tug-of-war!
After my daughters, AnnaLeah (17) and Mary (13), were killed in a truck crash almost three years ago on May 4, 2013, I have had my eyes opened and would like others to listen to what I have to say.
We can do better than continue to put our heads in the sand and think that these horrific, preventable, tragic deaths will go away by handling these problems the same old way.
If you could walk in my shoes (and those of the hundreds of thousands of other Americans who have lost loved ones this way) and bear the unnecessary grief on a daily basis, then you might be able to understand the frustration of knowing that something better could be done about this–but ISN’T.
Are you listening, Congress, everyone involved in the trucking industry and traffic safety advocacy, and especially, right now, President Obama?!
A simple song sung by a mother — with simple trust in the Father for all the gifts He has given and which He has promised are yet to come.
Mary & AnnaLeah sang this song one year with a King’s Kids choir in Texas. I know that they believed its simple words by faith as a mustard seed.
Video footage from Mary’s Baptism, AnnaLeah’s Confirmation, & their journey home to their Father in heaven above.
“Simple Song” lyrics & music by Honeytree (Nancy Hennigbaum)
I will sing a simple song The meaning will be clear. And you’ll never have to wonder When you’re far away from here Just where I am coming from And where I take my stand Beneath the cross of Jesus Holding to His nail-scarred hand.
The Bible says it in a simple way And so do I. Our Father up in heaven Sent His only Son to die So that you and I could be free from all our sins. Take a look at Jesus Christ in faith Eternal life begins.
He rose again. He conquered death forever When He rose again. I know it won’t be long Until we rise with Him To spend eternal life in Paradise. This is my simple song.
And I know it’s nothing new. But every simple word is true. And this is my simple song.
When we said our goodbyes to Levi, as he headed out of the country to serve the people of Peru, I couldn’t help but think about the two who were not here to hug him goodbye.
Remembering the good times Levi had with AnnaLeah & Mary:
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)
If you are a parent (or even if you are not, but our story moves your heart), please share our story with at least one another person. Maybe we can reach that 1 million people Jerry is hoping for. And just maybe the president’s heart will be like a stream of water in our Father’s hands. (Proverbs 21:1) Pray for it to be so.
Last night, I was sewing a row of quilt squares while watching some television with the family. I am thankful that I have this means of cathartic grieving. But, I have to say, it caused an ache deep within to touch those familiar pieces of some of their favorite clothes.
When we met with DOT policy officials on March 4, we found that we were in agreement on a very important perspective regarding crash fatality causes and solutions: What we need to be addressing is not one thing or another, e.g., improve underride guards OR develop crash avoidance technology. No, no, no. It is not a case of either/or. It is definitely both/and!
Our crash was not an accident and many factors were involved in what came about that day. They all need to be addressed.
My heart is broken and anything less than genuine pursuit of every avenue for safety advancement only serves to deepen the pain.
AnnaLeah, Mary, Marcus, and Vanessa, Spring 2012, Grafa Park, Midland, Texas
Weeping Willow Memories: Mary and AnnaLeah enjoyed a spring-like day in the winter of 2009 at Grafa Park in Midland, Texas. The branches of a weeping willow tree became the setting for the unleashing of their imagination. (Preserved for us by their sister, Susanna Karth)
Our son and daughter-in-law lost a beloved pet today. After having lost another one earlier this week. Mary and AnnaLeah would have been sad at their loss.
Here is a video of Mary with another one of their dogs (I apologize if you cannot access this link, as Facebook currently has our Memorial Page UNPUBLISHED): Mary & Django
Mary & AnnaLeah taking their brother & sister-in-law’s dogs for a walk. Family vacation, 2008
I have heard this encouragement four different times now this week, through different means: Be strong and courageous.
I needed to hear that. Especially because I have had some hard days of missing AnnaLeah and Mary, at the same time that the task feels overwhelming.
One of the times was just tonight when I searched for a facebook post with a photo of a drawing which Isaac made of Mary at Lake Michigan. I haven’t found it yet. But I did serendipitously find some good treasures recorded in our Journey through Grief Page. They were the best kind of encouragement as we prepare to go to Washington next week.
