From Tragedy to a Teachable Moment

April 15, 2014 | By Chuck

Last Sunday night was pretty special. It was our annual teenager's verses parent's kickball game at the Bradley's. I sure appreciate Mark and Elizabeth's hospitality shown in their willingness to host this event each year and feed us all so well. Just so you know, the parents won, AGAIN. Win or lose, it's more about a Christian family gathering for fun and fellowship. We always enjoy our time together and usually have a short devotional message and singing to wrap up the evening. This year was a little different as something special had been planned to close out our time together. Bob and Janice Treadway lost their son, Terry, to drug addiction some years ago. Terry was a phenomenal baseball player but his career and ultimately his life was cut short by tragedy. I can't imagine what Bob and Janice went through losing their son and what they continue to go through every day. My favorite part of our gathering last Sunday night was not beating the teenagers at kickball or even the great food we so enjoyed, but rather it was when Janice shared Terry's story with all of us. With pain in her voice and tears in her eyes Janice did an outstanding job telling her son's story and conveying the dangers of drug abuse to our teenagers. You could've heard a pin drop as Janice relived this painful yet life-changing story. I was personally blown away by her message and so thankful my kids were there to hear it. Janice turned a personal tragedy into a teachable moment. She has turned a negative into a positive by trying to reach others with her message about the dangers of drugs. Terry dreamed of one day speaking to teenagers about his struggles with drug addiction in hopes of steering kids away from that dangerous road. I'm convinced that Terry would be very proud of his mom and her desire to tell his story to others. Thank you Janice for seeing the importance of teaching others to avoid drugs and thank you for using yours and Bob's tragedy as a teachable moment. From teenagers to adults, we were all blessed by Terry's story. "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us: if it is teaching, let him teach."(Rom.12:6a, 7) Chuck Ball