A Boy Died in the Neighborhood

Last Friday evening I was heading to our Shalom Village gathering when I came across a line of cars stopped about 2 miles north of my house. I could not see around the bend but a man came running down the street telling everyone to turn around. A boy had been hit from behind about a minute before. The man screamed, "Turn around! Get out of here ... it's horrible ... you don't want to see this."
     I turned around and made my way to Shalom Village another way. I prayed silently for this unknown, un-named person who was hit.

     Later that night I learned that the boy was 14 years old, had moved from Chicago 2 weeks earlier to be with his mom, and his name is Robbie Fehlman. Robbie died on the scene of the accident at about 5pm on Friday, June 29th, at the corner of Garrison and Baltic in Lakewood about 2 miles from my house.
     It so happens that Robbie's family is next door neighbors with our close friends Jim and Rachel, so this hits closer to my heart than other such events.
     So why am I writing about this event on my blog?
* First off, I simply want to pause and grieve and feel sad about the loss of this life. His name was Robbie Fehlman and he is no longer alive. His family is devastated and something of my heart needs to be pierced by this also;
* Second, he had come here and was enrolled in Bear Creek High School, the same school from which Carly and Steven graduated. He was to be a football player there. Close to him once again;
* Third, I am reminded once again that life is so incredibly fragile and I should not take it for granted (although I do).
     The news reports quickly spoke about the person who was driving the car, and the possibility that she was taking prescription medicines, and that she is being charged with a felony, and that she is in the county jail. All of that helps only nominally to me, and it does my heart no good to desire vengeance and punishment for the person responsible.
     "An eye for an eye causes the whole world to be blind eventually." (can't remember who said this)
And so this Sunday evening, July 1 I remember Robbie Fehlman who I did not know. May he truly Rest in Peace with the Lord of all creation.