Nine Lives, One Sunday Afternoon
A private jet crash in South Florida took nine lives in a moment, and we carry their families to the God who is a very present help.
On Sunday afternoon, a Learjet 60 bound for the Bahamas from Austin, Texas, went down near a busy road in Greenacres, Florida, in Palm Beach County. All nine people on board were killed. Officials said no one on the ground was reported hurt, though about 600 nearby residents were evacuated while federal investigators begin their work (NPR).
Nine people boarded a plane expecting to land somewhere warm and bright. Behind each of them is a circle of people who woke up this morning to a world that will never be the same. We don't know their names yet, and we don't need answers before we pray. Grief doesn't wait for an investigation.
There's a temptation, when tragedy happens to strangers, to watch the video, shake our heads, and move on. But every life on that plane bore God's image, and every family now mourning is known to Him by name. He is not a God who stands at a distance from sorrow. He is a very present help, right there in the trouble.
A prayer for this weekFather, hold close every family grieving the nine lives lost in Florida. Be near in the shock, the phone calls, and the long nights ahead. Give strength and steady hearts to the first responders and investigators, and peace to the neighbors who were displaced from their homes. Teach us to treat every headline as a person you love. Amen.
One thing to do: Pray for these nine families by name as their names are shared, and this week thank a first responder in your own town with a note or a meal for the hard things they carry for us.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1, ESV)
Source: NPR (The Associated Press)