Sad news . . .

We've all been keeping one eye or ear on the news here in the northwest over the past few days. We were elated when Kati Kim and her two children were rescued after being stranded nine days in the Southern Oregon wilderness. Unfortunately, out of desperation, Kati's husband James set out on foot Saturday to go for help.

Today we heard the sad news that James did not make it. He gave his life for the safety of his family. Frankly, I'm overwhelmed with the sadness of it all and I've done a bit of whining to God today over this sad development.

"God - seriously? You would take this man, really? Right before Christmas? And knowing that his wife and daughters survived? Seriously, God?"

I shake my head, wipe the tears away and marvel at such love. The love of a father for his family. A love that would do anything to save them. The same kind of love that God has for his children. A love that can't be bound by the limits of our understanding of this fragile existence in a broken and tragic world. A love that says, I have a plan and I will care for my children. I pour the truth of that promise on a broken heart today as I try to lift up prayers for a mom who faces challenges she hoped she'd never have to face in a lifetime and for her precious children, that they will know the love that their father held for them and that it will sustain them through their lives.

If you'd like to leave a message of condolence for the Kim family, you can send them an email at a link found here. They had to close the online guestbook because it had so many entries. I slipped mine in right before it closed and there were already over 5,000 messages. I hope that these carry some comfort for the family. Please keep them in your thoughts and give your own loved ones an extra hug tonight in honor of James and his family.