Friday morning I drove to Humboldt for the funeral of Devon Hunzeker. My friend and fellow ELM classmate Sandy Denton met me there and together we witnessed the mourning of this small community over the loss of one of their own. As I pulled up into the town square across from the Church, it was sobering to see the line of school buses parked along the square.
Once inside the Church building it was literally filled to capacity. Both the sanctuary and the basement were completely filled. Sandy and I were seated downstairs and watched the service projected onto a screen.
Howard did a wonderful job with the service, and his message was well crafted for his congregation. It was both comforting and healing. I cannot imagine a much more challenging service to conduct, than a service for a teenager who has been killed suddenly. It was heartbreaking to see all of the youth there, their eyes filled with tears and their pain visible in their posture and movements. I will continue to pray for many months to come for these youth as well as for Devon's family. After the service, Sandy and I had a brief moment to give Howard a hug and tell him that he did a great job with the service.
Of course now for Howard and the family comes the difficult part. As in all cases of death, the family is in a whirlwind leading up to and thru the funeral. Reality has not yet set in, once they awake that next morning and realize that for every morning for the rest of their lives their son is gone... then the pain sets in anew. It's now through these next few months or even years, that Howard needs to be there available to deal with the questions, the anger and the pain. Once everyone else goes back to their regular lives, it's only the family left to deal with the loss.
Sadly, I know this pain and I grieve for what lies ahead for the Hunzeker family. From now until the end of their lives his parents will suffer his loss. And on no date will this pain be more acute, than on the anniversary of his death. For Gail and I this pain comes around every April 12th, the day our son Wyatt was both born, and then died. For 21 years this day has haunted me. Some years it sneaks up on me, and on that morning I awake and realize suddenly what day it is, then the pain falls on my head like a box of bricks. Other years I see that day coming from a long ways off, and for days or even weeks I feel a building sense of dread. Those years are the worst, for the pain comes slowly and remains for days afterwards. As much pain as I endure over the loss of a newborn, I cannot fathom the depth of despair over the loss of a teenager.
Please continue to pray for the Hunzeker's, and for Howard and the Humboldt community as they minister to them.
On my way home, I stopped and took a few pictures of some country churches that are on or near to Highway 50. So, I'll just leave you with these photos and wish you all a wonderful and richly blessed week ahead.
In God's Love & Grace,
Roy
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| Saint Paul's UCC, rural Tecumseh, NE |
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| Saint Peter's Lutheran, Missouri Synod near Elk Creek, NE |
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| First Lutheran, ELCA near Avoca, NE |
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