It’s the call that a World Racer never wants to get. A call
that you know is going to change things immediately.
I knew the moment I was woken up by my contact that
something was not right.
“You’ve got a call up at the house from home.�
It’s 6 AM. Business calls typically don’t come quite that
early. So I hurriedly got my clothes on and made the short drive up to the
house. As I dialed the numbers so easily ingrained in my memory, I dreaded what
message awaited me.
Within a few moments the mysterious unknown had finally been
let out of its cage.
My Mom was the voice that had to communicate the news. I was
told that my Uncle had taken his life early that morning. The immediate
response that hit was, “How do I
get home to be there for my family?� For the first time on the race the
thousands of miles in between my family and I became all too real.
When you’re in a country that is by all means a disaster
zone, on an island, in the middle of the ocean, suddenly you realize the
sacrifice of this lifestyle.
I knew when I signed up that I would miss things while I was
gone. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, but it was the loss of a loved one that I
had hoped I would not have to deal with.
I was blessed to be lifted up in prayer as soon as I
received the word by our contacts, David and Judy Heady. As soon as they
finished their prayer, I made a phone call to try and lift up my father; who
had just lost his only brother. Thank God we are blessed enough to be at a
place where I can communicate with my family.
The Lord has spoken and given my family and I peace about my
staying on the field during this difficult time. Please lift up my Dad, his
siblings, my cousin and her family, my family, and I as we walk through this
loss.
Though distance may separate us, the Lord is a far greater
comfort then I could ever be.
