Homeschool Group - Tiffanie Hammond

Good Morning, my name is Aaron Kaufman, and for those of you who do not know me, I am Ethan, Tiffany, and Sadie Hammond’s pastor. I’m here to let you all know about a phone call I received Saturday evening, while driving the float for the Co-Op. I received text message from Bill Hammond, a very close friend of mine, saying please call me, it’s urgent. I immediately called him, and he informed me that Tiffanie had taken her life.

Many of you know Tiffanie, probably almost all of you. My oldest son Moses shared with her mom yesterday that she always shared with him something from her lunch with him. That’s the type of person she was. Happy, friendly, encouraging. I even spoke to her just hours before getting this news as she was picking up the cooler for hot cider and the manger for the nativity scene for the float from my mother’s house.

You wouldn’t have known anything was wrong in her world, but things were, and the enemy was busy. He had deceived her into ending her chapter here on earth early, and leaving behind a hurting husband, daughter, brothers, father and mother and many, many friends.

Giving my message to our congregation yesterday was hard for me, I’ve known this family for 15 years, her dad is one of my elders and closer than a brother to me. As I was meeting with the family on Saturday night, I shook my head and told them, I don’t know what to do for tomorrow. I don’t know what to say. I asked them should I change my message to something relevant? And her mom slapped me on the shoulder and said “You’re our pastor. Preach the Word. That’s what you do.”

So I did. I let them know before the service about what had happened, lead them thru Genesis 31, but I hadn’t taken into account, all week, distractions would not let me finish my message. It became abundantly clear to me yesterday morning why. I had an ending that I couldn’t prepare for, and would need to be lead by the Spirit thru.

I encouraged every person to be praying, but to understand their role now is to support. When tragedy strikes a family, that’s when the body is mobilized into action. Many of you, right now, are struggling with your feelings. We have many pastors who are here to help you thru that today, and to be here for you if you aren’t ready now, or need further counseling down the road.

This is where the hard part comes in. Saturday night, when I received this call, my youngest daughter was in the cab of the truck with me. One of Sadie’s best friends, and I had to tell her how to pray and what had happened. I had to let her know, her best friend, right on the other side of the glass behind her, had just lost her mother, and she couldn’t tell her. I told my 3 oldest kids what had happened away from her, and we took her in my truck quickly to meet up with family, who also had to wait to tell her because her Ethan wanted to tell her about it.

I put my kids in a very dangerous position there, I knew they would rise to the occasion and listen to my instructions, but they didn’t know what else to do. When they got home, they were shell shocked and came to my wife Hollie, expressing their dislike of how we handled that situation. My son asking if Ethan was OK. My youngest daughter asked if they could just go and be with the family. My oldest daughter came out in tears asking my wife if she would ever think of doing something like that, and how that would make her feel.

These are real conversations you need to be prepared to have with your children. We are here to help you. Some of your children will ask tough questions, and I want to give you some tools right now to help answering those questions.

First is John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus is specific in who he says will go to Heaven, and that is whosoever believes in Him. The Greek word used there is “Pas” which literally means ALL. We are all fallen people, and we all do sinful things, but our God is mighty to save, and he will save those who call upon His name.

Second is when Jesus is talking to his disciples, encouraging them John 14:1–4 “1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Jesus goes to prepare a place for us, and that place is ready when we come. He even prepares for those who arrive early in our time, but He knows when we’re all coming to see Him.

I take comfort in the fact that Tiffanie had a relationship with Jesus. She is a whosoever. Are you a whosoever? If you’re not, and it concerns you about what might happen when you die, please speak with one of us today. We don’t know the time or the hour we will be leaving this earth. We don’t have to die in our inequity, because we can’t earn our way to heaven. It’s a free gift, all we have to do is accept that Jesus is Lord, he died in our place for our sins, and rose again from the grave proving his power over death.

Right now, it’s the only comfort the Hammond family has. Feelings are raw, and they bubble up and down. They need fellowship. They need all of you. The most powerful thing you can do for them is lift them up in prayer. If you are close with them, reach out. We must all mobilize and come alongside this family. Ethan, Robert, and Brandon need fellowship. Bill and BettyAnne need fellowship. Sadie needs fellowship.

Sadie is here today, because she wants that routine. Routine is safe for people, especially kids. We know how to handle our routine. It’s something we can normally control. It’s a powerful thing to understand and allow to happen to heal.

She needs your kids around her to lift her up. She has a lot to process and settle, and there will come a time when those feelings will come up. Help your children respond lovingly and understand this process. They need to know from you, because they might hear something from someone else and then you’ve got to address that too. Don’t let this take your kids by surprise. If they want to talk about it, let them talk. If they want to ask questions, let them ask. If they don’t, don’t force them, but be prepared for them to come eventually. Remember, it’s OK to answer questions with “I don’t know.”

We are all here for such a time as this. We are all called here to be a part of something bigger, something greater, a community of people who support and encourage each other. None of us have this life figured out. Many of us hurt in so many deep and dark ways, and we think we can hide it. It’s time to stop hiding it. Fellowship means that the people closest to you know the things you fight against, that secret sin that you don’t want anyone to know about. Those people, however, don’t rub your nose in it, instead they roll up their sleeves and fight alongside you. Sometimes they fight for you and you can’t even see it because they’re fighting in prayer too.

I want to end today with the Word of God, some encouragement:

Psalm 30 1 I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.

3 O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4 Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

6 Now in my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved.”

7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled.

8 I cried out to You, O Lord; And to the Lord I made supplication:

9 “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth?

10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,

12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”