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August 30, 2009
One-Year Mark
Today marks the one-year anniversary of my brother Aaron's death in a jet ski accident on Lake Minnetonka near the Twin Cities in Minnesota. It's a very sad time for me and for my entire family (especially his wife Eve and their two kids, Gabriella and Mathias), as we remember Aaron's wonderful life and the impact he made in so many people's lives for Christ. (For the blog entry I wrote last September about his death, click here.)
As a bit of a tribute to Aaron, this morning at church I played his favorite hymn, "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" on the piano. I said a few words beforehand, and eventually made it through what I wanted to say. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it through, but I did. It was his favorite hymn because it spoke so clearly of the sovereignty of God, that in all things, no matter what happens, God is ultimately still in control. We may not always understand why God allows certain things to happen, but He is still sovereign.
This afternoon I looked through a photo album that Aaron's friend Todd put on facebook. I've posted that to my profile as well, and it brought many smiles and tears. I'm still not done sorting through all the photos that were recovered from my hard drive crash last October (a year and a half's worth of photos), but when I do I'll also make a tribute photo album and put it on my facebook profile.
And then tonight at PSCG Bible study, after the main study we sung "Immortal, Invisible," "It Is Well with My Soul" (both of which were sung at Aaron's funeral) and "Blessed Be Your Name" (which I remember being played right before the funeral as we closed Aaron's casket - "Lord, You give and take away / You give and take away / But my heart will choose to say / 'Lord, blessed be Your Name'"), followed by me showing this slideshow I made last year for his visitation and funeral:
After that there was a time of prayer for me and my whole family. I am grateful for the support that I have received from my friends over the last year. It means a lot.
Tears have been shed periodically over the past year as certain things brought Aaron to mind (such as on his birthday on 21 July), and many more tears were shed today on this sad anniversary. I miss you, Aaron.
Posted by Jared at August 30, 2009 11:57 PM