Words By: Troy Wong

Yesterday was an emotional day for Julie [Julie is my wife] and me.

Scott, Andrea and Isaac Sward were preparing to serve the Lord in Cambodia as lifetime missionaries. They had finished their training in Colorado and were 10 days from getting on a plane to South East Asia. While on the way to church they were involved in a horrific car accident. Scott has multiple internal injuries. Andrea has multiple injuries, including a broken clavicle, a broken jawbone, two fractured vertebrae (C7 & T1), two broken arms, a broken ankle, a broken leg and some internal injuries. Their son Isaac was on life support. He died Monday. He was 1.5 years old.

You can see their picture and find the latest updates at www.EFCSW.org

You can view the newscast of the accident at http://www.9news.com/video/player.aspx?aid=47889&bw=

Julie and I know the Swards personally: we've have had them over to our home for fellowship, Julie and Scott were on the same Cambodia team, and Scott preached at the church I pastor. We knew Andrea before she was pregnant, saw her with child, and met Isaac when he was still in a baby carrier. Now he's gone. And his parents are hurting physically, emotionally and spiritually.

What follows is what I have been and will need to continue to remind myself of. I hope it helps you. 

1)       God is in control. (Isaiah 6.1-4; Job 1.1-2.6) The Bible teaches monotheism. There is only one God and he reigns supreme. Good and evil and everything in-between can only happen because he either causes it or allows it.

2)       God is good and loving and kind (Mark 10.18, 1 John 4.8; Luke 6.35).

3)       God is wise. (Isaiah 55.8-9) God sees things that I don't. He understands things that I can't. He's wisdom is infinite. I must believe that all of life and death happens for a good reason, I just can't see it right now . . . but that doesn't mean it's not there.

4)       God is King and he has the right to do what he wants. However, his goodness, kindness, love and wisdom animate his sovereign decisions. (1 Timothy 6.15-16)

5)       God works all things for good. (Romans 8.28) God doesn't take a tragedy and call it good or convert it to something good. Instead, he takes tragedy and uses it for good (an example is in 2 Corinthians 1.3-7). The damage to this family is not good, nor will it ever be. But I am confident that God will use this bad thing for their good and His glory. I know this because they love him.

6)       This world stinks, but there is a better world that awaits those in Christ. (Romans 8.18-25, Revelation 21.1-22.21). Like Paul writes in the Romans passage, the more this kind of crud happens the more anxious I am to get to the front of the line. My soul resonates with John's in Revelation 22.20.

7)       Isaac is with the Lord. (2 Samuel 12.23) He was too young to confess Christ or to deny Christ.  God takes that into account. Isaac is safe and sound.

8)       Scott and Andrea will bear this wound until they die, after which the wound will be healed, they will rejoice with their son (Revelation 21.1-22.21) and will be reward for having born the "scars of Christ." (Galatians 6.17)

9)       Scott and Andrea will see clearly when they get to glory (1 Corinthians 13.12) that will be part of the healing.

10)   Life is sometimes painful and can be very short. If I or my family are going to suffer or die, I'd like for that to happen in service to my King. (2 Tim 4.6-8)

In Christ,
Troy