The Good Ones Are Taken…….

WAY TO SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

And, honestly it is SO unfair!

I found out this week my cousin’s husband passed away. Now to clarify before anyone who reads this freaks out, by blood she is not my cousin but my whole life she has been considered my cousin and I see it no other way. I spent many days up the mountain at her house and I love her and her family as if they are truly blood related.

My cousin was married 6 years ago I believe and has a little boy. Shortly after their son was born her husband found out he had leukemia. He beat cancer 3 times in the past 4 years and was recently diagnosed a fourth time.

I did not know him very well but I would follow their blog posts and facebook updates as they went on this journey. He always impressed me with his faith, courage and unwavering determination even through the hardest of times. Often times I was buoyed up by their posts and my testimony of faith and endurance was strengthened. There have been numerous posts since his passing of people commenting just as I am. He truly seemed like a remarkable man.

Right before she got married I ran into her at an LDS temple I was volunteering in and we chatted for a time and I then offered to give her a ride home. She was meeting up with him later that evening to head to Idaho. Although my meeting with him was brief, less than 5 minutes I knew at that moment she had found a special man. My thoughts were confirmed at their wedding reception. They seemed like the perfect match for each other.

But now he’s gone! WHY???? Why was he chosen to bear that burden? Why was she chosen to be his partner through that time? Why does their son not get the chance to be raised by both parents? So many WHY questions and not very many answers.

As I have thought about this since finding out the news on Wednesday I think of all the people I know who have been taken too early from this life. My parents have had many friends pass away in the last few years and my parents are not that old. They are still considered young with many years to live. So why were their friends taken? Why are babies born to shortly leave this world? Why is a 31 year old man gone?

All of these people I am thinking of who are gone to soon have the same characteristics as her husband. Strong, faithful, determined individuals. Unwavering in their faith and a desire to always do good. Always an example to the rest of us.

I don’t have the answers nor think my thoughts are the perfect answers but as I have pondered each of these deaths I have a strong confirmation that God truly has a bigger plan than we realize. I honestly believe he is preparing something huge and he needs these faithful servants on the other side to help him with the preparation. He knew of their hearts and intentions and unwavering faith and knew that is what he needed to help him. Even though I feel they were taken WAY too early, I believe even though it is hard to accept, God took them at the exact time they were suppose to go. In his mind they left this earth when they were supposed to, to help him in his preparations. I believe God operates on a perfect timetable and through a perfect plan. I know one day I will look back on these experiences and it will make perfect sense.

Does this ease the pain or make the pain go away? I don’t think so. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain, the sorrow, the heartache she and others go through. I can’t even fathom the appropriate words to say during times like this. I just know that God knows and he will provide the comfort needed. But I honestly feel for me, I need to take these examples and strive to live my life like theirs. All of these people who have passed on taught us through their example of how to live, how to endure, how to show unwavering faith and have reminded us we can do hard things and press forward in steadfastness so that we can live worthy to see them again someday.

Some of these people I didn’t know personally just like him but I have learned so much from these individuals and even though they are gone to early they are certainly not forgotten and I thank them for their examples.  Thank you for teaching me important life lessons and reminding me the importance of setting an example because there may be someone I don’t know very well who might be looking to my example of how I endure, how I demonstrate courage, and how I show unwavering faith.