Aaron Proffitt

So we got over the hump that was the dreaded November 15th. To say that we were looking forward to that happening is the understatement of the year. As morning dawned and we awoke on Sunday, tears began to fill Ashlee’s eyes and it broke my heart. All of those memories of what happened last year were revived again. We couldn’t avoid it. We couldn’t stop it from happening. They had to run their course. For Ashlee it took a few hours. For me, it was a little easier to get past the worst of it. What hit me the most that morning was when I saw the picture of Ashlee and I on our wedding day in our room. The picture was when my dad had just announced us as husband and wife and I got to go in for the kill and kiss her. The look on her face was so pure and joyful. She had no idea of the pain she was about to go through just three short years later. Sometimes I wish that I hadn’t dragged my wonderful wife into my crazy life. If there is one thing that is sure, the Proffitt family gets attacked. In my short three decades of life I have already seen a mother and sister survive cancer. I’ve seen my dad get stabbed in the back by his closest friends on not one occasion but two. We’ve been kicked to the streets as a family after everyone seemingly turned their backs on us. I have dealt with the pain of losing my grandparents all before my 15th birthday (my dad’s mom I never met because she died of cancer when my dad was 16).

Needless to say there has been no shortage of pain in our lives. And then a year ago on Nov. 15th we got hit with the biggest blow of all, my second born 5 and a half week old son, perfectly healthy, passes away. I looked at that picture of my happy wife and began sobbing knowing that if she hadn’t married me, she probably wouldn’t have lost her son. And on a side note, she also wouldn’t have had a son that looked like Smigel from “Lord of the Rings” because everyone said Aaden looked like me and I think he had the appearance of Smigel.

Amidst the pain of what Sunday represented, it ended up being the most beautiful day as we were able to see God work in the lives of our friends and family and church family’s in Virginia and Florida. We have received and are continuing to receive cards, letters, e-mails, flowers, text messages, and facebook posts from countless people. It has been overwhelming to hear all of you pour your hearts and souls out to us. We are blown away by the faithfulness of God and His people and how God has used His people to carry this burden with us. God has used so many of you to comfort us during our most difficult times and we are so very grateful for that. And not only did we have all the support, but Aletheia Tampa had its greatest worship gathering to date. Nearly 70 people came out to hear my dad speak from his heart about Aletheia, Aaden, Ashlee and I. It was an all “A” event. And I got to lead worship with my guys for the first time since I left Harrisonburg last March. What a release that was.

But still at the end of the night I told Graham that I couldn’t wait until midnight when a new day would come. When we wouldn’t have to say it’s November 15th any more and we wouldn’t have to cringe as the days inched closer and closer to that day. For me, yesterday began a fresh start…a brand new start in essence. I am looking forward to what the next 365 days bring. God is good. His mercy endures forever.