H.A.P.

Http://www.lfpress.com/sports/2011/05/21/18177261.html

Have A Purpose. 

Thats the motto of a special kid named Ian Jenkins. Ian was in an accident on Thursday, and passed away at 7:45 this morning. Ian was one of the best teen hockey players in the nation. He was supposed to play hockey in London this past weekend, and he was destined for the NHL. Ian went to WCA for a long time, almost as long as I can remember, a few years ago he switched over to Milan schools.

I never knew Ian all that well. He was in my sisters class until he moved up a grade. I only knew that he was a really nice kid who was an amazing hockey player and had two adorable younger siblings. I used to work in his sister Cassidy's room as a teachers aide. She was always telling me about how awesome her big brothers are :)

But then Thursday took place. And it was like the rain just started pouring and the storm wouldn't stop raging. And it went on and on and on. I may not have been super close to him, but WCA is a family. And when one of us is hurting we are all hurting. We all had hope that Ian would wake up, and everything would be okay again. But he didn't. It's hard to accept that God took such an inspiring person back to heaven, but God always has a purpose in everything that he does. Just like Ian. Many would say that Ian's purpose was to play hockey, but it was so much more than that. Just from reading the hundreds and hundreds of posts on his Facebook wall, Ian's purpose was so much more than that. He was a great friend, amazing teammate, brother, and son. But he also was a follower of Christ, and he made that very evident. His purpose was to be a light for Christ.

Ian may not be here with us anymore, but his purpose is still going strong. Ian donated his organs to other kids in need- He is helping others even though he cannot be here in person to do it. His love has inspired others to keep moving forward. His accident has brought people back to Christ. He may not be here physically, but we will never forget him and the impact he has had on probably thousands of people in his very short life time.

Ian had a purpose. He lived for his purpose each and every day. How many of us go through our days thinking "I will do it tomorrow." or "I will call her tomorrow." or " It's not that big of a deal, he knows that I love him." We aren't promised tomorrow. We aren't promised the next minute or next breath. God doesn't promise any of this to us. We need to live in the moment, and treasure our lives.

Rest in Peace Ian. You have inspired me and reminded me what it means to live for a purpose and to treasure each and every day. We will never forget you.