Taylor Tragedy Revisited

By now I think virtually everyone knows of the unbelievable twist to the horrific van accident of April 26 that took the lives of four Taylor students and one employee. Tim's graduation on May 20 was punctuated by the memorials to the students -- giving of their diplomas to family members or friends -- and remembrances of each and every one of them.

On Wednesday (May 31) Tim told me about the mixup between Laura and Whitney....how it was Laura that had gone home to be with Jesus on April 26, and that it was Whitney that the VanRyn family had been caring for for the last 5 weeks.

I've read the accounts of what happened, and I've wept. I've seen the girls' pictures on TV, and I've wept. I've pulled up more stories on the internet, and I've wept. I've talked about the tragedy, and I've wept. This ending to the story has grabbed me -- along with the rest of the nation -- as the original van accident didn't.

Over and over we've cried out -- "how could that happen? How could they have mixed up the two girls -- even at the scene of the accident? How could Laura's family and friends care for Whitney for five weeks and not realize that IT WASN'T LAURA?

Oh -- explanations have been given -- the damage to Whitney's face, the fact that none of the Ceraks saw "Whitney" after the accident and the funeral was a closed casket. That the coroner didn't do his job; that once the misidentification had taken place, then it just continued -- until last Wednesday.

I weep for the VanRyn's, and I rejoice with the Ceraks -- for their daughter, who was lost to them -- is alive and getting well.

I can't help but wonder how Whitney is going to deal with all of this once she is fully cognizant of the entire story. There will be survivor guilt, of that I have no doubt. I'm sure we will hear bits and pieces as Whitney's sister is Tim's best friend's girlfriend. (Did you follow that?).

But most of all, I wonder how Laura's mother is doing, and my heart just breaks for her. I think of my two beloved daughters, and cannot fathom not recognizing them -- no matter how badly they have been injured. Torrey's blue/green eyes with golden flecks that defy description by color but which are identical to Chris'. The little twist of Torrey's lower bicuspid that refused to surrender to the braces. The tiny mole by her lower lip, Cindy Crawford style. I've been able to pick her out in a fuzzy picture taken from far away when she is dressed identically with 50 other U.S. Grand Prix grid girls. How would I not know her if I see her in a hospital bed? How could I not identify Jill's long and slender fingers which are a direct gift from her father, or the curliness of her honey-brown hair. Her amazing clear blue eyes. The distinctive shape of her nose which has been passed down from her great grandmother Torrey. I can't imagine that it could be possible that I wouldn't know them just anywhere.

And so I weep for Laura's mother. And I ask Jesus to surround the family with His love, His mercy and His grace. I wonder how Romans 8:28 fits into this -- how can this be one of those "all things" that are working for good in the lives of God's people.

We may never know this side of heaven. But I do know that further down in Romans it says that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.

We can cling to that, even in times of sorrow and tragedy and disbelief that something like this can happen.

Thank you Jesus.