1. What a wonderful tribute to Amber. What a gracious outpouring of support for Hans and Jo and Aaron. The number of people here today and last night bears testimony to the place Amber held in the hearts of so many. The awesome display of floral arrangements gives witness to the number of people thinking of you. And many more, that you don't even know, have held you in their prayers. The decorations at the crash site just continue to grow. It's a sign of the esteem Amber and all of you are held in--a sign of the support so many are so willing to offer you.

2. That's all nice--but I have trouble getting past the truth that it shouldn't have to be in the first place. It was fun to hear and see all these things and all these people--but I'd rather not need to be here. I don't like it one bit that Amber is dead. It seems so basically wrong.

3. We don't want to believe it--we don't want to let go. So we try to hang on in a variety of ways. Perhaps you'll see yourself in some of these.
   1. Just can't believe it.
      It feels so unreal--you totally expect to see her some place. After my dad died I twice tried to call him on the phone--and several times saw him driving his car--except I was driving his car. It's weird--as if our mind won't make peace with the death of those we love. We just don't want to--some times even can't--believe it.
   2. We say things like, "We'll never forget her.-- She'll always live in our memories."
      Many of you will never, ever forget her. But, honestly some of you will.

      When I was a senior in high school one of my classmates was killed. He was a gymnast working on the high bar--doing those giant loops and lost his grip and went flying beyond his spotters and beyond the mats and landed with a fatal thud on the concrete floor. We all went to the viewing and said we'd never forget him. But if you asked me his name today, I couldn't tell you. By the time your 20th or 30th class reunion rolls around someone will ask, what was the name of that girl from our class that died. And somone else will be angry that you dared forget Amber. Because it's so hard to let go today--we say we never will let go of her memory. Many of you won't. But some of you will.

   3. We have her in our heart--and you certainly do have her there. But the problem is that's not really where you want her. You want her in the hallways at school, sitting around your home or hers hangin with friends., you want her driving down the road to Target or Walgreens, you want her teasing and playing with Aaron, you want her in your life. You hold her in your heart this day, but again the problem is you don't really want to hold her in your heart--you want to hold her in your arms. If we're honest we'll quickly say we're glad she's in heaven--and it sure beats the other choice here--but if we had our druthers--we'd rather she not have died in the first place. That's where I'm at.

      I'll be the first here to praise the glories of heaven and rejoice in Amber's place there today, but I'd rather see her here, today--hear her giggle--argue with her a bit about something we saw differently. I thought some day I might stand in front of this church for a service for her--but frankly, I was thinking of a wedding. This funeral stuff is not what I want. Even this great talk about heaven doesn't totally cut it--even for me.

   4. Amber's dead--and it stinks--big time. I'd use stronger language--and frankly have these past couple of days--but it's the wrong time and place for that now. But the sentiment is still there--in my heart and likely many of yours. This is just plain out wrong! Let's not ask ourselves or anyone else to in any way pretend otherwise. It diminishes God's good gift of life-- and demeans the gift Amber was to so many of you. It just stinks that she's dead.
   5. That's why you won't find a reason to satisfy your soul. There is none. What could possibly be the reason for something like this?

      There's no justice here. Amber was a good kid-- Hans and Jo wonderful parents. She was a great daughter--a fun sister--a good friend. If she was druggie--or a loose girl--or a trouble maker--or or or.... then maybe, if she wasn't your daughter or friend, (for don't you ever forget that the parents and friends of kids with more troubles than Amber had also love those kids)-- if Amber was consistenly "bad" then it might just barely make some sense. Just barely--for if God did only justice we'd all be in big trouble. But the only thing Amber was consistently was smiling, being playful, helpful, sincere, genuine and fun. So it sure doesn't make any sense.

      It's just flat out wrong--and shouldn't be. I think we can all agree on that. I'm not going to try to explain why--for I can't. There's no reason that would make any sense--that's why we call it a tragedy. The report of the autopsy may give you some answers to what happened. But it will not address the why it happened. Tragedies don't have explanations--they just have tears.

1. And I go even a bit farther and ask the Martha question, that we just heard Maggie read--Lord, If you had been here my brother would not have died! Lord, If you had been here, been there on Lone Oak road--our Amber would not have died. Where were you that night?

   I do ask--why didn't God stop it. How many of you have had close calls driving and escaped unharmed? Last year I rolled an SUV--ran into an out of control Ford Explorer at 65 mph--spun around on the freeway--rolled over at least once (I'm told)--and ended up up on the embankment facing the other way. When someone knocked on my window, I awakened--and walked away from it all. Why not her? Ten feet one direction or another and she would have missed that tree. Why not her? That one I don't know.

   But I do know this: God didn't take her. Death did-- death took her. And death is the enemy--the last enemy we heard read this afternoon. Don't make God the culprit here--for God's your only hope of healing and comfort. Don't make a friend out of death--it's no friend today--it's a theif--and you've been robbed. Robbed of a daugher, sister, niece, cousin, friend. Robbed. And when you get robbed you get mad. When I heard I just wanted to hit something. I was mad. And although I knew Amber and certainly liked her (who wouldn't like Amber?)--I'm very aware that I neither knew her nor loved her anywhere near as much as many of you do. So, I'm sure you were mad too.

   God, do you get it? Amber's death is awful! It makes us hurt and it makes us mad. God, can't you do something about this?

1. Amber was so helpful--Her dad told us she would often cheerfully say, "I'll do that for you!"

   And that's what Christ has said to her, and all of us -"I'll do that for you!"
   I'll pay the price for your sin-"I'll do that for you!
   I'll die a real death--"I'll do that for you!"
   I'll descend into hell--"I'll do that for you!"
   I'll rise from the dead--"I'll do that for you!"
   I'll open the gate of heaven--"I'll do that for you!"

   Jesus rises from the dead to defeat the power of death--not to make friends with it. Not to make peace with it. Not to make sense of it. But to put it to death--to shut it up and send it away, forever.

2. Jesus answer to Martha's pain filled complaint, "Lord, if you had been here.." is not an explanation- -not a request that she not feel that way. But it is a straightforward assertion of another truth that must not be overlooked. Jesus answers here pain by saying, "I am the resurrection and the life." In the face of the truth of the pain and awfulness of eath--Jesus gives us another truth, without in any way denying the first, "I am the resurrection and the life." Death, as awful as it is--and it certainly is--does not have the last word. For Amber or for any of you.

   This is one of what are called the great "I Am" sayings of Jesus. "I am the resurrection and the life." I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the way the truth and the life. There are seven of these great "I Am" sayings. "I Am' was a name for God.

   "Am" was a a term of endearment used by Amber's family--short for Amber. "Am." Jesus says now, "I Am or Am" He welcome her into heaven--"Am, I Am." "I am the resurrection and the life." And because I Am for you--Am--you will rise and live again forever.

3. This girl knew where she was going! .
   1. Many of you know Amber's sense that she would not live long these last years. There were dreams of such and conversations. It's probably no surprise to her she died young--in some ways she seemed to see it coming.
   2. The poems and quotes in her room spoke of her future in Heaven--this girl knew where she was going.
   3. She was also very stubborn in her convictions. Those of us who taught her in confirmation here have all gone round and round with her when she disagreed. And, I can personally attest that she was a formidible debate opponent--she didn't give it up easily.

      So I'm confident she held on to her faith to the end! If she believed in it she wasn't going to move from it. And I know she believed in God, in Jesus--in heaven.

      This girl knew where she was going! So I'm confident where she is--and you can be too.

4. Can you imagine her entrace to heaven--She'd bound in an do what someone called "that little hoppy thing" and with a big smile greet everyone: "Hey guys!" "Hey guys" is now heard in the halls of heaven. If heaven can be brightened up--she did it.

   This one who lovingly carried around her doll for years-is now lovingly carried by her God.

   This one who was described to me as "dang near perfect" is now perfectly perfect.

   Amber liked to be ever so gently tickled--for as long as she could get her mom or dad to do it. Think of heaven as a place where the hand of God will gently tickle her body and her soul forever. She'll love it there-just roll over and ask for more!

   Maggie told a story the other day about a confirmation class Amber was in. Maggie asked the kids to find out what their name meant--and she'd give them something connected to their name. And Amber, whose name means "Jewel" as you may have seen on the card that was distributed last night, said, "then you're going to have to get me some jewels."

   Did you hear Amber's uncle Mark read from Revelation? The walls of heaven were described as "decorated with every kind of precious stone; jaspers, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, amethyst and many others. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl." Seems Amber, the jewel, she got her jewels. Every time you put on jewelry--give thanks for her place in heaven. She'll fit right in--one more very precious jewel.

5. We heard it read, "In the twinkle of an eye we shall be changed."--a twinkle perhaps not unlike Amber's own--and now she's been changed--into a world of joy beyond measure.

   We here hurt--very deeply and very much. But Amber's doing just fine--making many new friends--smiling even at God Himself and bounding in to see Jesus. "Hey, guy."

   And if she could say anything to us--she might remind us that God promised He will wipe every tear from our eyes. That there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain," and, then add, in her own unique style add, so therefore "Stop crying you wuss!"

   "Cry because you miss me--if you must--I guess I don't like it--never have. But, I'll just have to deal with it. But don't cry for me. It's great here in heaven--it really is. I miss you too--but I'll see you again--when you get here. And I'll meet you at the gate--and greet you with a big smile and "Hey guys!"

6. It feels like Amber lost her future--too young to go--too much life left to live--too many things to experience and share. And that's all true.

   But this is also all true--she has entered her eternal future--where there is everlasting life left to live -and blessings beyond our ability to imagine to experience and share. And Amber still is good at experiencing life and sharing.

   For us it's a loss--a huge loss, for some of you it feels nearly overwhelming. But for Amber--in God's good grace--it very well could be a gain; maybe even a good deal--perhaps even the ultimate blessing.

   We've lost her--and that hurts, for sure--but God has not lost her. She became His child in baptism here in this room--and she's still His child there in His heaven.

   For some of you this might be the first experience you've had with losing someone you love. I wish I could tell you it will be your last--but it likely won't. With time the pain will change--be less intense--less debilitating. It that doesn't happen- -seek some help. But don't anyone think that because Amber is gone, because it's not fair and doesn't make sense this day--that life is not worth it; and therefore check out in any way. I can just hear Amber say, "that's stupid." Honor her life by living yours to the fullest.

1. For there is more than one true thing here today:
   1. Giving deep and grateful thanks for all Amber was and meant to so many of you. That's why the pain of letting go of Amber is so true.
   2. But the promise of God for her and you is also so true. So, very true for her now.
2. So we can grieve and hurt and cry out in pain and fling our questions at God.

   And we can take comfort in the promises that are now so true for Amber.

3. Alleluia and tears.
   Alleluia and some angry words.
   Alleluia and some hard questions.

We give thanks to God this day
That the God that gave you Amber to love
And that gave you the gift of Amber
And that He now has welcomed her into her eternal, beautiful home.
And that He now is willing and waiting to care for you in your pain.

Tears and pain--Alleluias and hope.

Hang on to them both.

Peace be with you. Amen.