My Heart Grieves For My Best Friend’s 14 Year Old Brother, Stephen Brumby
My name is Shelby Hartshorn and the unspeakable happened yesterday. My best friend’s 14 year old brother was tragically killed in a firearms incident. The day started like any other day in the Brumby household, which I consider my second home.
Just a relaxing Sunday morning and plans to enjoy quality time with their dad. With oldest brother David home for a visit, it was planned to go to a local gun range for target practice, like they have done numerous times before. 24 year old David, 14 year old Stephen, 12 year old Christen and father Clayton were enjoying a fun outing when things turned terribly tragic. According to older brother David, “my father was shooting his .22 caliber pistol when an ejected shell casing ricocheted off the cubicle wall and went down his shirt. In an attempt to remove the burning casing his firearm which was pointed toward the ceiling discharged. The bullet then ricocheted off the ceiling and struck Stephen.“
My heart grieves as if I lost my own sibling. There are no adequate words. I just plead with all readers to pray. I ask you also to please consider contributing to the GoFundMe account I set up on the family’s behalf or choose a day to provide a meal for them on Meal Train.
www.gofundme.com/stephenbrumby
A few things that the Brumby family would like everyone to keep in mind. 1). The Lord is not any less sovereign and good today than He was yesterday or the day before. He loves us, so much. He is a good, good Father. And while we may not know why these things happen, we do know who to go to when they do. For, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” (Psalm34:18) “Has not the Lord unequivocally earned our trust by Christ’s death on the cross?” – Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts. 2). As it says in various places in the New Testament, “We do not mourn like those who have no hope” for Jesus is “the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me shall never die.” 3). Be ready to go at any time. It might not be a ricochet bullet. It could be a heart attack, cancer, a car crash. Be ready to go. And know where you’re going. The Christian faith is the most solid belief system in the world. Go ask your hard questions. 4). We WILL see Stephen again; of this we are completely confident. It’ll just be a little while. “This light and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all.” (2Corinthians 4:17)
“All things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose…(Romans 8:28) And neither DEATH nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, not height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38)
photos supplied by Shelby Hartshorn