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Yes! We Believe in Providence

Dear Readers

We are deeply saddened to inform you that the article titled “Do You Believe in Providence”will be Becky’s final words of encouragement to you. On Sunday, July 8, 2018, shortly after 5:30 PM, Rebecca Marie Bachman along with two of her three children, Lauren Ashley 15 yrs. and Daniel Robert 13 yrs, perished in a tragic automobile accident. She was traveling back from visiting her family in Michigan to her home in Georgia. Her youngest son Jacob is with his father and is expected to fully recover from his injuries.

We all will miss them dearly but at the same time trust with joyful hope that the God of Providence does work all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

You may be wondering, who is this writing in her place. I am her dad. Becky, you are missed more than you can imagine. You are God’s blessings to us. I am certain of this one thing she would want for you all to know. She is finally free.

Yes, she’s free. Yesterday, Becky’s mom (Maryann) and I, were sitting on the swing at the end of our driveway looking at the last place we saw our kids alive as they loaded up to head home. As we were reflecting on and mourning the tragic events of the past week, my mom walked out from her apartment doorway which is attached to our home, she called out excitedly and told us that there was a butterfly in the fish tank. And, no it wasn’t drowning or about to be eaten by swimming carnivores. A couple of weeks earlier, we had discovered several black and yellow striped caterpillars munching on the dill plants in the garden.

Last summer, we watched nearly a dozen monarch butterflies transform from caterpillar stage to maturity. So this year, remembering how much joy it brought for all of our family to watch their transformation last year, I gathered up these hungry bugs, put them in a glass jar and placed them in the “butterfly” tank. The coloring of this years hatch, however, was different than last years. So, out of curiosity , I “googled” their features and discovered that this years hatch would transform into black swallowtail butterflies.

For days we watched these creatures inch their growing bodies around on stems of dill we placed for them in the tank. They happily fattened up on the fresh offerings supplied from the garden. Eventually, their rapid growth slowed then finally stopped. In appearance, their features began to look strangely different. They had fully matured and were forming into their new temporary abode. They were ready for metamorphosis, all of them…but one. This one straggler, smaller than the rest, took a little longer to reach its full maturity. Eventually, she joined the rest of the group forming her own chrysalis. This all took place before July 8, the day our lives were transformed forever.

While we were away in Knoxville, after learning of the tragedy and visiting, grieving and praying for our grandson Jacob, Becky’s youngest son who had ‘miraculously’ survived the crash, the brood had transformed into beautiful black, yellow and blue spotted butterflies. They were now eager to lay their eggs on the garden dill and start the life process all over again. The kids at home removed them one by one as they emerged from what was left of their dried structure. And, with excitement, the kids and their mom’s, Becky’s siblings, released them, and then cried. Freedom these days now took on new meaning. These tears of sorrow dampened their cheeks because of what freeness now represented. The gloriously winged insects were released from their captivity and flew to freedom, each one of them….except that single straggler.

After hearing moms report as we sat on the swing shortly after returning home, we rushed to the back porch to see the emergence of this lone black beauty in the tank. She was desperately fluttering about, struggling against the glass seeking her way to freedom. The liberation she sought was visible just on the other side. Her longing desire was to attain that which she did not have but on her own could not achieve. In compassion, I gently put my hand down into the tank careful so as to not startle her. Slowly, she bravely stepped onto the gentle offer of my finger. I slowly lifted my hand and she rose from the cage of her confinement.

She paused briefly on her fleshy perch just long enough as though to whisper a kind word of “Thanks.” We captured a photo (the one above) of her stretching out her brand new set of wings, then, in first flight, she flit about in her aerial dance to the screen door of our back porch. We watched her peering through the screen. Once again, it was as though she was pleading in its own creaturely way, “I’m ready to go.” It now became clear that she was being irresistibly called to a greater longing. I reached out for her once again to help her, but this time she found the opening in the previously torn screen. In a moment, she was off, out of our sight, to be with and to be what her Maker had intended for her from the beginning. She is now finally safe and fully free to be who He had perfectly fashioned her.

This true story was no accident or random chance, it was providence planned before the foundation of this world. And though we, from our earthly perspective here now, see things dimly, the brightness of the glory of the resurrected Christ, her Savior, will shine forth forging our flight to a grand and glorious future. It is there, with Him, where sorrow filled tears will be softly and tenderly wiped away by His loving merciful fingers. We too, we who know Jesus, and you also who are lovingly called according to His eternal purpose, foreknown by Him through His electing love, we will see Him as He really is. And, our seeing and being with Him, well that will be eternally sufficient. The God of grace, our Resurrected Deliverer, is what makes this present life and the hope beyond our present travailing all worthwhile.

But, even more than the sufficiency of being in His glorious presence, in incomparable grace, He gives to us even greater joy through the magnificent reuniting of souls dearly departed. This God wrought joy will not be in passing nods in mere facial recognition and inconsequential acknowledgments through happy smiles, but a glorious uniting together in harmonious and thunderous praise of heartfelt gratitude directed to Jesus Christ…forever.

Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord and Redeeming Savior, has gently wrapped His caring arms around Becky and her children and has lovingly drawn them to Himself. All of the things that seemed, to them, so important here on earth, and, for sure they were important and still remain so, are now viewed from an eternal perspective. Her divinely designed work on this earth is now complete. Yet, the effects of those caring deeds live on in you who have experienced Becky’s labor of love.

Thanks for taking the time to reflect on God’s purpose for Becky’s life. Know that He has a purpose for yours, Respond to His love as she had for so many years, Rejoice in her Savior in whom she and her children now bow in joyous worship, kneeling before Jesus reigning on His glorious and merciful throne.

If the God of Providence has led you to find this site, may Becky’s words of encouragement mingle into your life. May they give you hope, courage and the resolve to strive in godly pursuit of your own freedom, right here, right now and evermore.

Be Free, Like a Butterfly!

Sincerely,

Rob Reece

Becky’s Dad.

Abuse

The church protects its own

As another semester has come to a close and a new one is just starting, I wanted to take an opportunity to write something about how the church handles domestic abuse before I get neck deep in academia again.

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Abuse

The big picture

I want to give credit where credit is due. I did not come up with this graphic on different types of abuse and certainly, this is not all-inclusive, but this is one women’s example of abusive type behaviors that she experienced. (The original post can be found here: Elisabethklein.com). I tend to be a bit hesitant on using personal examples in my own blog for several reasons:

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