One week ago today, my sweet friend Becky (to the left) called me to tell me that the love her life, Tim, had been called home to his Lord and Savior. I can remember clearly the sadness in her tone, but even more than that, I remember the protection in her voice, protecting me from what she was saying. In my slumberous stupor, I asked her three times to repeat what she had said, "Tim didn't make it"...I couldn't imagine that I heard her correctly. I had seem Tim & Becky in the emergency room just four days beforehand and I was very aware that Tim had been sick, but the multiple conversations that Becky and I had between our encounter at the ER and this painful phone call never foreshadowed this event.Of course, there were the questions of what and when and how, but my focus turned immediately to Becky and Trey and how we could love them the way Tim always loved on all of us. You see, Tim Sewell was the man you loved instantly; he was just that type of guy, the man who lived out all of his convictions, morals and values, a true example of God's love on earth. He and Becky became our friends almost two years ago after they moved here from Memphis for Tim's job. I remember meeting them at the ball field and realizing that Trey had been one of "my kids" while I was subbing at Page Middle School. Derek and Trey became fast friends on the ball field and we even drug him along on vacation with us. Becky is the quiet type but we have become great friends despite our polar opposite personalities. Chris and Tim called nearly 100% of every baseball game at Bethesda together for the past two years; they were pretty inseparable on the field and made a great team. I remember when they became friends...it was in Cookeville at a tournament that they were coaching for Trey and Derek...it was early in the season two years ago and Chris and Tim paled around while I hung with my mom and sister; Becky wasn't there because she was in Memphis with a friend of her's who's mother had passed away. That's the Sewell's for you, always going the extra mile to love on someone else!
The last week has been a whirlwind of emotions; oh how all three Woodard boys love their "Timmy"...Caleb Woodard would run past his own parents to get his arms around Tim Sewell and Russ had been known to spend the night there even when Derek wasn't going over. Derek had a super special relationship with Tim; while their relationship was built on the ball field, he knew Tim Sewell loved him probably as much as Chris and I do. Last year, before school-ball tryouts, Chris was out of town for work; Tim and Trey drug Derek up to the ball fields at Bethesda every night and worked all of the kinks out for him...he made the team and Tim was the first person he called. Again, that was Tim always going the extra mile. I can still hear the hurt in Derek's voice when I told him last Sunday...that is a pain I won't quickly forget. And then, I will always remember him looking me in the eye and saying "I need to see Trey"...he didn't know what to say when we got there and he didn't know what to do, but he knew he needed to be there with him.
Derek went to the funeral with us and he too noticed how my sweet friend spent the entire time comforting everyone else. As you walked up to her, she would hold you and tell you how much Tim loved you and how it was all going to be okay; she was a rock, she was amazing. I couldn't help but think about how their entire lives are a living legacy of God's love and how He is in control. She called me Monday from Memphis as they were heading to make all the funeral arrangements and I just sobbed on the phone...she laughed at me! "It's going to be okay Kaycie" she said. I've talked to her multiple times and every time, she's holding her own; however, constantly reminding me that it isn't her keeping it together.
Derek went to the funeral with us and he too noticed how my sweet friend spent the entire time comforting everyone else. As you walked up to her, she would hold you and tell you how much Tim loved you and how it was all going to be okay; she was a rock, she was amazing. I couldn't help but think about how their entire lives are a living legacy of God's love and how He is in control. She called me Monday from Memphis as they were heading to make all the funeral arrangements and I just sobbed on the phone...she laughed at me! "It's going to be okay Kaycie" she said. I've talked to her multiple times and every time, she's holding her own; however, constantly reminding me that it isn't her keeping it together.
They are coming back home today and I can't wait to see her, to get my arms around her for longer than 5 minutes. I know she has been home with her family and their friends in Memphis, but we love them here too and want to love her the way that she and Tim have loved us for the last two years. I don't even know how to do that, but we'll keep trying until we get it right!
We never know what the Lord has in store for us, but we know that He has a plan and that our life here is short. I challenge us all to live our lives in a way that when our family faces our home going they will have the love and support of others who's lives we have touched and bettered. That is the life that God calls us to live. That is the life that Tim Sewell lived and as I have shared with many of our friends over the past week, the crown of jewels that he is wearing in heaven must be heavy! I can only imagine the joy in Tim's heart when the Lord looked at him last Sunday and said "Son, I am proud, job well done."
