An Outing to Remember ...

For the past 6 years, I have had the privilege of serving as the chaplain for An Outing to Remember.  This is an annual fundraising event to benefit the Dr Lisa Thompson Center for Family Education at the Rehab Hospital of Indiana.  You can read Lisa's story here. 

I never knew Lisa, but I play golf with her father; hence the invitation.

We often hear the words during a tragedy ... God can make this a good thing. Make no mistake, the loss of Lisa's life was a tragedy.  She is missed by family and friends alike.  Testimony to that is the great group of people that come together every summer to remember her, tell stories, play golf, and have fun.

Yesterday, Lisa's mother commented that her granddaughter (Lisa's daughter) said, "I finally can see the good that's come from the loss of Mom." The good you might ask?

The good comes from the stories of survival that were heard yesterday ... from Aaron, Matt, Andrea, and so many more. All these people suffered traumatic brain injuries.  RHI is leading in the research and development of programs that is helping victims recover and thrive. You might remember Andrea ... She made a really profound statement yesterday:

"I can understand the dark place that Lisa was in ... I've been there too.  This program kept me from the brink." (my paraphrase).

Everywhere you turned yesterday there were stories of people not just surviving, but once again thriving in their relationships with friends and family.  It is amazing to think that so many people people have been helped because of Lisa's experience.

What an honor to lead a group of people in giving God thanks for a life lived and all the good that continues to come from that one person's life - Dr. Lisa Thompson.

May we each live a life that is worthy of being remembered and may we take every chance to do good in the moments we are given.