Monday; July 5
On July 4, 1969 our family was changed forever. We were all at a church camp when my five-year-old brother was killed in a freak accident. As you might imagine, this tragedy defined our family for a long time. Initially, the impact it had on us was almost completely negative. Things changed and people changed. However, after several years of working through the sadness, guilt and grief something happened. This tragic event became a foundation for members of our family to begin working in trauma and crisis. My parents, especially my Dad, emerged from this event with the willingness to walk with people through their challenges and the resiliency to help them deal with their own issues. Not only were we sensitive to the hurts that others endured, we came to believe that there was hope – and we had the insight and background to be able to guide people through their own process. The reason that I share this is not to brag, rather it is to continue to offer hope. You see, life is