Andrew now has his own website, which we will fill in with pictures and some of his own writings. Please check back soon at www.AndrewLives.org
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Andrew Lyle Thomas 1987 - 2005
Tragedy struck our home on the evening of Sept. 25th of 2005. Andrew had not attended evening service as promised (he worked the midnight shift to fill in & slept Sunday morning) and we could not find him after 3 1/2 hours of searching Sunday night. After filing a missing person report, I finally found him dead in the farm shop, hanging from a hoist. At first we thought it was suicide, and were deeply grieved. The coroner, however, found small gifts of evidence (from the Lord, we believe) that convinced him it was almost certainly a tragic accident. As a result, we believe Andrew tried something foolish, slipped, and was choked to death before he could recover.
Through sleepless nights of weeping, we have known in our hearts that we cannot undo the past and bring our beloved son back. We are tempted to blame ourselves, rue our failings, and to cry out "WHY!" into the night. Nevertheless, by the power of This God, Who by His covenant of redemption delivers us from the wretched agony of self-hatred and endless remorse, we will rejoice in our pain and give thanks right through this suffering. By this resurrection power we will have HOPE in the same promise Kind David grasped when his son was gone (2 Samuel 12:16-22). We will indeed see Andrew again; we know and believe it with a faith that can never die, since it rests on Promise Rock.-----------------------
Andrew Lyle Thomas 1987 - 2005
Tragedy struck our home on the evening of Sept. 25th of 2005. Andrew had not attended evening service as promised (he worked the midnight shift to fill in & slept Sunday morning) and we could not find him after 3 1/2 hours of searching Sunday night. After filing a missing person report, I finally found him dead in the farm shop, hanging from a hoist. At first we thought it was suicide, and were deeply grieved. The coroner, however, found small gifts of evidence (from the Lord, we believe) that convinced him it was almost certainly a tragic accident. As a result, we believe Andrew tried something foolish, slipped, and was choked to death before he could recover.We all deserve the shadow of tragedy, don't we? Our sins are manifest, the law is just, and only mercy shields our rebel souls from the hardship we imagine must be for someone else. At the rare & awesome moment when the shield is lifted and a blow is struck, what can we do? In a word, we can believe or die. Here, in our home, though hearts are riven with grief and minds numb with pain, we will believe and we will not die, for the Death Breaker (Heb. 2:14,14) has triumphed and set us free from fear. One day our Redeemer will stand and we, all 6 of us, alive & in the flesh, will see His salvation (Job 19:25-27).
Many of you have given us gifts, support & your prayers. Thank you so much! As many of you know, the funeral was on Sept. 29th at Community Presbyterian Church, with burial in Grove Hill Cemetary, Shelbyville, KY. For those of you who are just finding out about this-- our apologies. We contacted as many as we could last fall, but we know we didn't get everyone. If you still wish to express sympathy, please send a gift to the Mission Trip Fund at CPC (13902 Factory Lane, Louisville, KY 40245 502-241-6600) in Andrew's memory. If you want to call or write, please go here.
You may click on the subtopics (above in the menu bar) for more on Andrew's life and passing, including some pictures from the funeral.