It has been my biggest fear since leaving for the Race. I was woken up
in the middle of the night and told that I needed to contact my family
back home, something was wrong. Through tears my sister told me that
my good friend and brother, Andrew Ethridge, was on life support after
his brain tumor had caused his brain to collapse. In my last
conversation with Andrew, I was in China, and he was on his way to go
fishing with his dad. It was apparent that his tumor was greatly
affecting his physical condition, but his spirit remained stubborn to
give in. I would expect nothing less.
Words will not do justice to the impact that Andrew had on my life. He
blessed my life in so many ways and was a devoted friend and comrade.
He taught me things like how to live a life full of laughter, how to
tie a fisherman’s knot, how to haggle and get a bargain, how to enjoy
the simple things, and how to battle without complaint. Andrew loved
to spend time with his friends and family and he was so gracious in
sharing those people with me. I will cherish our memories from family
vacations, fishing at the pond, watching hockey, and our many video
game nights together with Lee and Zac. Our crew will not be the same
without Andrew.
Grieving the life of someone you love is never easy. I’ve had an
especially difficult time grieving from afar. I’ve had feelings of
anger, confusion, and guilt. My heart ached to be home with family and
friends to celebrate his life. I struggle to hold onto my desire to
finish this race. I poured out my frustrations to the Lord, blunt and
honest. I asked him for a renewed sense of purpose and passion for the
Race, and that is exactly what he has given me. He has filled me with
a deeper love for my squad and the people on it and he has reminded me
how much he has taught me on the Race thus far and has assured me that
there is more to learn. The Lord and I have some unfinished business
to take care of on this journey and he and I are going to see it
through.
