I was moved to tears yesterday morning as I read through a friend's website and watched videos of projects and interviews that have taken place over the last 6 years. May I share their story?
DeDe and I have known Gaye Sampson for over 40 years; we all attended a little Christian High School near Greenfield Iowa in the early 70's. She was from Chicago, DeDe and I were from Iowa. Gaye was one of DeDe's best friends throughout her high school days. We finished school: Gaye returned home and married Bob Swaback; DeDe married me.
In 2004, Gaye and Bob's son, Mitchell, was involved in a swimming accident that took his life. A 23 year old young man entered heaven that August day. That was a very sad and dark day for Bob and Gaye... but let me share with you the rest of their story.
I referred earlier about reading a friends website: www.mitchellswabackcharities.org. As I read over the website, I saw Bob and Gaye take the tragedy in their lives and turn it into a wonderful, fruitful ministry. First, they committed time and resources to help an orphanage in Peru that Mitchell had been involved with through an earlier missions trip. They didn't stop there, but continued to realize a dream of their son's by seeing that a sports complex was added to the church Mitchell attended. They continued by getting involved by sponsoring an extreme makeover to Tabitha House in Chicago: a Christian run home for homeless women and children. For six years, Gaye and Bob have held fund raising events so they can minister to those in need. Isn't that a wonderful story of ashes to beauty?
I read this morning from James 1. "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you encounter various trials." My devotional book went on to add: "In this reading, James has two other pieces of advice for getting through trials. One is to ask God for wisdom (v.5). Wisdom is practical knowledge about how to live in godly ways, especially under difficult circumstances. The other is to 'believe and not doubt' (v.6). Affirming what we know to be true about God is faith, a rock that cannot be moved by any storm of life."
The older I get, the more I understand that no family is immune from heartache. These past two weeks I have spent the cold, snowy days at home tracking down other students of Stanzel Christian High School. You know what I have found? Nearly every student has had some heartache/trial in their life since leaving high school; no one is immune. I also have seen many different ways we have handled our trials.
Let me encourage you to turn your heartache into joy; your sorrow and pain into something good and productive; roadblocks into bridges; death into life for others; broken lives into restored lives. God is the giver of all good gifts... and He is capable of sustaining and renewing our hearts and minds.... thank you, Gaye and Bob, for your Godly example... may we each follow your example and create ministry from our sorrow.
Written by:
Earl Taylor, Director of Design and Vision
Hidden Acres Christian Center...a youth camp and retreat center in central IowaHidden Acres is owned by the Evangelical Free churches of Iowa, South Dakota and Missouri.
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