The Fruits of Faith



Last Friday seemed like it was a good day. I spent the morning working at church with Tyler Sultze, the afteroon shopping with the fam and Richard Carroll, and the evening watching a movie with my brother Billy. But that all changed. As I was getting ready for bed, my brother's phone started ringing. I didn't think much of it when he answered it with the word, "Rehrer." But soon I heard a tone of concern in Billy's voice as he offered to pray for Matt. Then I heard him say that Matt's family was in glory. I was shocked by this news, but it was true.

Last Friday, Bill, Pam, Bethany, and Amy Rehrer were driving to Houston to visit Matt, the oldest Rehrer child, and his wife Kara. A few miles south of Huntsville, an oncoming car swerved into the Rehrer's lane. Apparently Bethany was driving and swerved to the right to avoid this car. As she swerved back to the left the car apparenly lost control and slid through the median and into oncoming traffic. The Rehrer's Saturn was hit by a semi, and all the Rehrers were instantly killed.

This news came as a shock to all who heard it. The Rehrers were so influential in the lives of all that knew them, and it was hard to grasp that four of them had been killed in an instant. But as I've been thinking about the Rehrers, my thoughts have been drawn to Hebrews 11. Verse four of this chapter talks about Abel and his sacrifice, and it says, "And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks." This statement also rings true for the Rehrers. Because they lived lives of faith, though they are dead, they still speak.

Few men have influenced me more than Mr. Bill Rehrer. From 2nd to 11th grade, he was my principal at Believers Academy. Over the years he taught me so much about life, the Lord, and leadership. One memory I will never forget about him comes from a time where I was in trouble at school, but he cared about so much more that resolving the troubling circumstances, he wanted to make sure that I learned and grew from the experience. I will also remember the times when Mr. Rehrer would just hang out with the students. During off periods or study halls, it was not at all uncommon for Mr. Rehrer to be sitting and talking with the students on the talk. This also showed that he cared about so much more than just getting his many tasks accomplished. He cared about the students and loved us to the extent that he simply enjoyed being around us.

Mrs. Pam Rehrer showed everyone that knew her an example of servanthood; she was the perfect help-mate for Mr. Rehrer. Hardly a day went by when you did not see Mrs. Rehrer at school, serving in some capacity, whether it was working as a secretary or cleaning bathrooms. Until last year virtually every BA hot lunch was a production of Mrs. Rehrer. She exemplified humility and was always ready to serve.

Bethany Rehrer's smile was infectious. She had such a deep joy in the Lord that it was always bubbling over for all to see. If you were down, you could always count on her for encouragement. She was also an extremely gifted vocalist and always used those talents to glorify God through choirs at church, school, and college. Recently, she traveled with Majesty (a choir from The Master's College) to Israel and Spain. When one of the churches in Spain heard what had happened, it started to pass along the news to other churches. As they described Bethany, the other churches all remembered her as "the one with the smile."

Amy Rehrer also let her light shine brightly in all that she did. One thing I was remembering about Amy was her commitment to spending time in the Word and in prayer each day. You chould see how she drew strength from her times with the Lord, and she was always exhorting others to spend time with God. I also had the pleasure of playing with Amy in many worship bands through church and school. I always enjoyed leading worship with her not only because she was a skilled pianist and vocalist, but because you could always tell she was excited about what we were doing and she believed what we were singing.

These four precious souls are now with the Lord, but their impact only continues to grow. This family was so involved in our church that even this past week you could see how much of an impact they had. The Rehrers also had a monumental impact on our school; many people were even lead to Christ by the faithfulness of Mr. Rehrer in his life and his prayers. The Rehrers did not stop having an impact after they left our school. I read in one article from an Amarillo newspaper how the Rehrers' great impact at their new school did not seem to coincide with the fact that they had only been there one year.

However, there are two Rehrers that are still with us, and Matt and Kara's faith is also speaking loudly in this time. Even though they were shocked and saddened in the midst of this Job-like tragedy, they never lost their confidence in God's perfect plan. Even as two state troopers came to talk to Matt and Kara about the accident in the early hours of last Saturday morning, Matt still had the presence of mind to stop the troopers and pray with them. As Saturday went on Matt was already talking about how the Lord was going to use this tragedy for his glory.

As the news about the Rehrers' deaths began to spread last weekend, the faith of everyone who heard was put to the test--I know mine was. Suddenly everything I believed, everything I knew to be true seemed so much more real. And as I saw the faith of Matt in the midst of his sorrow, my own faith was strengthened. I have been challenged to read my Bible differently, to pray more earnestly, and to think about Heaven in a different light.

Even though Bill, Pam, Bethany, and Amy Rehrer are gone, they are still speaking to us. Their faith has turned into reality as they are now in Heaven with the Lord, but their example is still encouraging us to live by faith. May we continue to do just that. In the midst of this trying time, may our confidence in the word of God be strengthened. May we be encouraged to use this circumstance to witness for the Lord. May we continue to desire a better country, a heavenly one where we will see the Rehrers again as we all stand in the presence of our Savior as we worship him forever.