06/08/2026
Good morning,
I have been thinking about writing a devotional book for a while about the things we, as a family, have experienced through our grief and life. This is one about a mass-casualty wreck we worked a while back. I want honest feedback on whether this kind of thing would be something you would want to buy to support our ripples to Waves non-profit.
Side by Side
βTwo are better than oneβ¦ If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.β β Ecclesiastes 4:9β10
Some nights test people in ways words cannot fully describe.
After responding to a mass casualty incident involving multiple patients, I found myself reflecting not only on the tragedy itself but also on the incredible unity displayed by our first responders.
Firefighters.
EMS personnel.
Law enforcement officers.
All working side by side in difficult conditions with one shared purpose:
helping people during one of the hardest moments of their lives.
In emergency response, people often see the flashing lights and the action. What they may not always see is the emotional weight responders quietly carry long after the scene ends.
The faces.
The families.
The prayers whispered silently while trying to stay focused.
The burden of wanting desperately to help everyone.
And yet, even in those moments, something beautiful often emerges:
people showing up for one another.
That night reminded me again how important teamwork, leadership, compassion, and faith truly are.
Not one person carries these burdens alone.
We lean on each other.
We support each other.
We pray for one another.
And we trust God to carry the weight too heavy for us to hold ourselves.
My heart especially went out to the families who lost loved ones that night. No amount of training can change the reality that behind every incident are real people, forever changed.
In moments like those, Iβm reminded again that ministry often happens not only in churches, but on highways, in ambulances, at scenes, and beside hurting families searching for peace in unimaginable situations.
And through it all, God remains near.
Reflection
Who has stood beside you during the most difficult moments of your life?
Prayer
Lord, strengthen all first responders, medical personnel, chaplains, and leaders who walk into difficult situations carrying burdens others may never fully understand. Bring peace, comfort, and healing to grieving families and remind us all that we were never meant to carry lifeβs hardest moments alone. Amen.
