In Memory of My Brother-In-Law

I'd like to remember my sister, Evanna, and her family today.

One year ago today her husband, Jeff, was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash. My sister is surrounded by friends and family today, but I pray that the Lord will give her sufficient grace to help her make it through this difficult anniversary.

At the time of his passing, Jeff and Evanna had been married 22 years and had a son and a daughter, ages 20 and 19.

For several years prior to his death, Jeff worked as the head custodian at a local public school, and he had an incredible impact of the lives of the students there, especially those with physical and mental handicaps. He was also known to sing "Happy Birthday" during lunchtime to students on their birthdays, a custom that was enjoyed—and looked forward to—by hundreds of students each year.

Following his death, instead of a formal funeral (although we did hold a graveside service for close family and friends), we held a "Celebration of Life" at the local fairgrounds which hundreds of people attended. Students from Jeff's school send literally hundreds of cards, letters, and poems, which we mounted on the walls of the building during the Celebration for everyone to read. It was awesome to see how much Jeff touched the lives of so many of those students.

Jeff's tragic death impacted so many of the students at the school, in fact, that the school principal opened up a quiet room where kids could go to grieve after they learned of his passing; that was where so many of them wrote the cards that we hung up at the Celebration of Life.

As the Celebration of Life drew to a close, Evanna addressed the crowd that had gathered there and shared her thoughts with us. She appeared so strong that day, although I'm sure inside she felt like she was falling apart. I was amazed at her strength.

So, Evanna, Brandon, and Ashley, I'm praying for you today.