In 1992, After I got home from the Navy and was attending Univ. of Cincinnati, my brother was completing a ministry internship at Southern Acres in Lexington, KY. The senior minister there was Wally Rendell. He had twin girls, one of whom was Jill. Jill attended Cincinnati Bible College, very high GPA, played basketball, and was homecoming queen that year. Coming home from a basketball trip in Michigan, the van she was riding in slid off the road in the snow at night. She was thrown from the van and killed. We were all shocked. There was a collective mourning for the Rendell family.
> I went to the funeral in Lexington. The place seated more than a thousand, maybe more than that. There was not enough room for people to sit. Many, many people stood. The media was there. I can tell you that every person there ached for a way to comfort Wally and his family. Such a loss. There was nothing we could do. All we had to offer was empty hands and helplessness. Famous ministers spoke. As one was wrapping up his comments, Wally from the front row of the sanctuary stood up, with his hands above his head, he began to clap. Every person in the entire building also slowly stood up and began to clap until the whole sanctuary roared with applause. I'm sure the media people were in shock. Wally was celebrating a life well lived. In that moment, with broken hearts, we were all there to support him. He wound up supporting us. We have a hope that exceeds this world.
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