Jacob Logan went to celebrate a friend's birthday at a local lake last weekend. On Sunday afternoon, he jumped off a cliff into the water below for the first time. Before he jumped, he said something to the effect of, "If God wants to take me, then he'll take me." and those words were his last. I don't know the family personally, but I've heard a lot through the grapevine. I usually take everything I hear with a grain of salt, but all I've heard is what a kind, friendly, goofy, strong Christian boy this young man was. His family, when giving their statements to the media, showed nothing but grace and a true love of God. As tragic as this week has been, I am moved and inspired by this family who is a true testament of what "giving it all to God" looks like.
Jacob played football for Coppell, and he was (from what I've heard) an excellent player and a great team player. He was number 21. He jumped into the lake on Sunday, and rescue/recovery teams worked from dawn until dusk and later everyday using sonar equipment and dive teams and any other resources they were able to find. On Thursday night, Jacob's body was recovered. I saw a post on Facebook that said, "Thanking God, that finally, #21 was found at 21:21." Jacob was, in fact, found at 9:21 pm, which in military time is 21:21. When I read that, it gave me chills... Could God be sending a blanket of peace over this whole community? Could Jacob be sending his loved ones a message, saying he's okay and in the presence of our Creator? The very thought brings tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat.
In the midst of all the uncertainty, another young man in Coppell was battling his own demons. Again, I don't know the family, only what I've heard, but it hurts my heart that this young man felt there wasn't any other option. Jonah Blackwell was a Silver Spur, one of the guys who raced the length of the football field and did push-ups each time Coppell scored. If you went to Coppell, you know what I mean. The Silver Spurs bring an element to the game that gets any crowd amped up a few notches. From what I understand, he was very present in the student body and everyone who knew him liked him. He was genuine, caring, and a good friend to any and everyone.
On Tuesday, he made the decision to take his own life. I don't know the circumstances behind why he felt that was the only way, nor is it my job to speculate on anything. I will, however, say this. I know how hard it is to lose someone you care about to suicide. I know firsthand. A friend of mine made this exact same choice in 2010, and I still think about him all the time. One of our mutual friends described it best when he said, "He had all the love in the world to give, but he never saved any for himself." Truer words were never spoken. My friend was a friend first, no matter what, and he always put himself last.
I wish there had been someone for him to be able to open up to; someone who could've maybe helped him through it instead of things happening the way they did. I wish that for Jonah as well, not just for him, but for his family and friends as well. I pray that Jonah found the peace that he was searching for, and that his family will be enveloped by God's peace and the love and support of their friends and community while they try to come to terms with the sudden loss of their child.
A Facebook page was created specifically for these two boys, to honor their memories and to be used as a forum to show unity in our community. There was a post asking everyone to wear orange and blue today because they were Jonah's and Jacob's favorite colors, respectively. Coppell's school colors are red, black, and white. Here's a picture of the student section from Coppell's "away" game tonight:
As a parent, I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child. Parents aren't supposed to bury their children, it's the other way around. To lose a young life is tragic. To lose two in three days is indescribable. To the Logan and Blackwell families, you are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. We are all a part of a small and extremely close community, one that has grown exponentially with all of those who are speaking out to show their support. At the end of the day, regardless of where we live, which district we're in, or what football team we cheer for, it comes down to this: We are a family. We show up, whether we know each other or not because that's what families do. We can hope and pray that tragedies like this never darken our doorsteps again, but if and when another tragedy does, it may be my doorstep or yours that is darkened. As terrifying as that thought is, I know that I wouldn't be alone. With God on my side and an extended family disguised as a community, I never could be. I'm praying for the peace and comfort of God's love to be wrapped around these two precious families and friends of the two young men who are no longer with us on Earth, and thanking God for the grace and kindness he has bestowed upon perfect strangers to lift this whole community up.
The Coppell Cowboys won their game against Flower Mound tonight, 27-18. Flower Mound observed a moment of silence for the Cowboys, and all of the Cowboys wore "21" on the side of their helmets. After the game, both teams and their fans joined together in prayer. If that doesn't speak volumes, I don't know what does... There are some pretty amazing (and heart-wrenching) pictures showing the unity here,
I'll leave you with this, a heartfelt gesture from another rival, Colleyville Heritage:
Aubs
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