Ed got his son and his daughter-in-law, who were living on the premises, to perform CPR and called an ambulance. When they arrived, the EMTs could find a faint heartbeat, but no pulse, and they ended up taking LeeBeth to the hospital. Ed was not allowed to ride with her in the ambulance because of COVID-19 restrictions. Friends and family came to the hospital, and Lisa FaceTimed from South Carolina. Eventually, the doctor told them, “We can’t do anything else.” The family then sang worship songs to LeeBeth as she passed from this life to the next.
Taking LeeBeth Young’s Life and Death to Heart
LeeBeth’s death “is not what we wanted,” said Lisa, “and that’s not what she wanted, but we’ve learned so much out of this and God has provided, that’s all I can say, is God has provided.” While LeeBeth’s time on earth was not perfect, she said, “It was a beautiful 34 years.” Lisa shared that she and Ed have gotten numerous cards and texts from people telling them of specific ways that God used LeeBeth in their lives, such as by inviting them to church or by helping their kids to trust in Jesus.
No one should judge LeeBeth based on the last decision she made in her lifetime, said Ed. “It’s really about the last thing Jesus did, isn’t it, on the cross. That’s what her life is about.” He said that it has been hard for him not to seek an explanation for why this tragedy happened, but the truth is that, “As believers, we don’t stand on explanations. We stand on the promises of God. And that is so, so important.”
“And if God explained it to us, it wouldn’t take away our grief,” said Lisa. Ed said that another struggle for him has been the apparent unfairness of his daughter’s death. There are people who “drink like fish,” who even binge drink while taking drugs and are still perfectly healthy. Why would his daughter die after only three bouts of binge drinking? But, he observed, God can handle his anger and is bigger than his “why’s.”
Ed asked for prayer for his family as they continue to grieve. “God is faithful,” he said. “This Word has washed us, changed us, the prayers have comforted us, consoled us, strengthened us,” as have the church’s friendship and love. While he has been counseled to wait a little longer before he returns to preaching, he said, “We will do church with a greater urgency than ever before because we’ve been so close, and we are so close to eternity.”
The pastor then challenged those in the congregation and those watching online to take the reality of death seriously, and he closed the service by leading people in a prayer to put their faith in Jesus if they had not yet done so. “All of us have a tissue-like veil separating this life from the next,” said Ed. “You’re not ready to live…until you’re ready to die.”
