Heartache on Highway 87

Tim and I have lived in the great state of Arizona for over 3 decades and although we have seen a lot of this beautifully diverse state, we have not seen it all by far. So recently on a Sunday afternoon, after preaching in Prescott and heading to the White Mountains to get some writing done, we had the opportunity to tour some unfamiliar, less travelled roads across our state and we took it.  We were cruising right along, enjoying the wildflowers, cacti and pines and the comfortable conversation of two who have been married long enough to finish each other’s sentences correctly almost every time. It was a perfect spring day and the motorcycle crowd was taking advantage of the beautiful weather and wide open spaces.   But just as we turned south onto the road that drops into Payson, we were stopped by an ADPS officer telling us that because of a bad accident ahead, we should be prepared to wait at least an hour for the people involved in the accident to be rescued and transported.  Right in the middle of that idyllic day, reality raised its ugly head. What started out as a weekend ride on a Harley, turned tragic for two motorcyclists.  One man lost his life after his motorcycle veered into oncoming traffic. Another rider suffered major injuries as he swerved to avoid the carnage. When we finally drove by the accident, the poor man who had died was still lying in the road waiting for the coroner to arrive. The police officers were doing their best to shield him and dignify him in death, but as we slowly and somberly made our way past the scene of the accident, we couldn’t help but think of the family who was being notified at that moment that their son/father/ brother/husband was gone.  Every once in a while we get a stark reminder of the fragility of life and this was one of those times. As we prayed for the injured and the bereaved, we thanked God that our lives are ultimately in His hands. And, of course, we wondered if the man who lost his life that day had placed his faith in Jesus and was ushered into heaven. That’s a decision that cannot be put off because eventually it’s too late.  If you don’t have the assurance of your eternal destination, then I would like to invite you to click on this link that shares how to be a friend of God’s: https://www.familymatters.net/Knowing_God. If you have any questions or would like to talk more about what a personal relationship with God looks like, email us or give us a call. That’s what we’re about at Family Matters. Grace based relationships-the chief of which is your relationship with the God of grace.  Here’s to earthly sunsets and eternal sunrises,  Love, Darcy