Yesterday afternoon our good friend Taylor Vander Weele was called home following a tractor accident. Visitation with the family will occur from 3-8pm Friday at HRC, with the funeral service at 10:00am Saturday, followed by a graveside service and lunch.
Taylor was a committed Christian young man who had been an active and vital member of our youth ministry throughout middle school. Taylor loved being an adult, always choosing farming, fixing stuff, and doing heavy labor to playing and hanging out. His knowledge and ability as a handyman far surpassed me, and I leaned on him pretty heavy on several mission projects and on the remodel of the youth room (he personally installed the new screen, which had not even come with any sort of installation kit). Every Tuesday and Thursday I would see Taylor for at least a few minutes at school, and if for some reason I couldn't make it I was summarily called a chicken the next time I saw him. He was always telling me about his most current project, whether it be with his dad, their good friend Phil, or a project with his friends or cousins that often consisted of making a vehicle go significantly faster then it was supposed to. I know I speak for so many when I say Taylor was a great kid and will be so greatly missed. I also know that he had a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and now resides in Heaven. For God's grace and love in that regard I am truly thankful.
To honor Taylor and support his family and friends we are going to have a special youth group gathering for Middle School and High School Sunday night at 5:30 in the youth room. In the meantime feel free to post any words of encouragement or memories of Taylor here and we will make sure they get to the family.
This sucks. There, I said it. But in the midst of it all we have an almighty God that desires DESPERATELY to be with us to help us through. Yesterday I spoke to the middle schoolers about how God desires to be with us during the storms of our life. We looked at Jesus walking on water and how Jesus did not do that to show his power and might, but instead to get to his disciples, who were in desperate need in a major storm, so he could help them. It's the same way with our lives. In the midst of chaos and turmoil God will do the impossible to be with us and for us. We just need to let him by prayer, patience, and understanding. I thought afterwards that it was an incredibly irrelevant message and that I probably should have spoke about something else. Then this, the biggest of storms, crashed into our community two hours later. I guess God had a much better idea of what was relevant. I have also gained much strength from a verse I planned to speak on this weekend, and that is: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down
his life for the sheep . . . I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep
and my sheep know me.” John 10:11,14
Jesus suffered and died on that cross so that Taylor, and indeed all who confess and believe, may have life eternal. As sad as this is we can rejoice that because of Christ's love Taylor's life is just beginning.
3 comments:
Thank you andy. I appreciate all of the support from the entire community, as well as the church. I have known Taylor all his life, and I agree, he chose to be an adult. He acted like a 40 year old, not 14. Taylor has inspired, annoyed, and been a crucial part of my life. His death has taken a big chunk of me w/ him. I say this not only as his big sister, but as a fan and friend. He would be amazed at all this support. Thank you all again for your wonderful love.
With God's Love and Healing,
Vanessa Vander Weele
let's all wear our brown shirts to the funeral
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
"according to Gods own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down form heaen, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will Rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. THerefore encourage each other wtih these words." It has struck me in the last few days what a comfort it is to know that death is not the end but the beginning of a wonderful, sinless, painless life with our creator and father, and that someday we will all see Taylor again.
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