The definition of tragedy is different for everyone. I always associated tragedy in my life with death. There is almost nothing worse than the unexpected death of a friend or loved one. The tragedy hits us out of nowhere, and we are left with an empty void in our life.
I remember as a teenager experiencing the loss of my cousin. I remember that day vividly. My brother was practicing driving with my dad in the school parking lot.
My grandmother called my house to tell me that my cousin had been in a car accident. I knew he was in town and had just left my uncle and aunts house. He was headed home to Illinois after spending the week with our family. My cousin had only made it maybe twenty minutes out of town when tragedy struck.
My cousin was traveling on a two-lane road, and another car crossed the median and hit him head-on. His wife and children were in the car behind him and saw everything happen. My cousin's wife called my uncle and aunt and told them what had happened. They headed to the scene of the accident immediately.
When the first responders arrived on the scene, my cousin was still alive. Pinned in his vehicle. He was alert and was able to see his family.
As soon as the fire department tried to remove him from his vehicle, he bled out.
My cousin died on that day, and the person who caused the accident walked away.
How do we accept tragedy in our life?
Forward on down the road of life. My aunt struggled with depression with the loss of her son. She could not grasp the fact that her son was dead. She could not accept that he was dead. Her son, my cousin, was a Christian as well as my uncle and aunt. My aunt knew that her son went to heaven when he died.
My aunt could not understand why. Why my cousin died and why the other person killed him. There was no malfunctioning equipment, and there was no inclement weather. The driver was not under the influence of any substances. The driver just happened to cross the line when my cousin was passing him on the road.
Sometimes we cannot get rid of the tragedy in our lives. It can cut a hole so deep in our heart that we will never be able to mend it. We can only find peace in Jesus.
John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”