Oh my. VERY sad situation in Florida...

That is a very sad situation. My heart goes out to the family.

 

I am absolutely heart broken over this story. My prayers do go out for this dear family and I pray that the Lord gives them grace through this trial.

 

Goodness.

 

I just canNOT imagine! May God's grace, mercy, and lovingkindness be heaped upon this family.

Has anyone said why a non-licensed, underaged person was driving?

Julia

 

No, but it was not the teenagers fault by a long shot. The car with the seven siblings was hit from behind by a semi truck going at least 60 miles an hour. He hit the car which hit the school bus. Amazingly he has only MINOR injuries. He wasn't paying attention and didn't even see them. There were absolutely zero skid marks. He just didn't stop. Local news here is reporting on how this man has a very long rap sheet, including accessory to murder, and has had at least four serious traffic violations in recent years.

I pray for that family. That mother must bury ALL her children and her father at the same time. I pray God will give the strength and comfort to go on.

 

I know. I read that part of the story, I'm not blaming her or anything. I was just curious why she was driving.

Julia

 

I know. I read that part of the story, I'm not blaming her or anything. I was just curious why she was driving.

Julia </font>[/QUOTE]I might get blasted for this, but here goes: I feel terrible for the family, but I think some of the blame should be laid upon the parents. Where were they? Shouldn't they have been driving that van, not an unlicensed 15 year old? That is my question of the day.

 

I know. I read that part of the story, I'm not blaming her or anything. I was just curious why she was driving.

Julia </font>[/QUOTE]I might get blasted for this, but here goes: I feel terrible for the family, but I think some of the blame should be laid upon the parents. Where were they? Shouldn't they have been driving that van, not an unlicensed 15 year old? That is my question of the day. </font>[/QUOTE]In Florida, at 15 you can get a learners license. I believe this is what the driver had. With a large, and possibly poor family, everyone has to pitch in to help. There are some very mature 15 year olds with excellent driving skills. Her actions apparently didn't even figure into the accident. She could have just as well been parked.

 

I and my church family will be praying for this mother. Anyone know if the kids were believers?

 

Joshua, there's a good possibility as they were on their way home to get ready to go to church. We can only hope that they were!

Kingsdaughter, I feel the same as you. I can only imagine that the parents must've let her drive because of extenuating circumstances. I wonder if they feel guilty about that? It's hard to imagine the range of emotions they are feeling at this moment.

Julia

 

If a parent would have been driving, there would be eight dead instead of seven. Where the parents were and who was driving the van has nothing to do with this accident.

 

Not necessarily. If a parent had been driving the trip may have been completely different. However it is all speculation and in the end it does not help a thing. We need to remember the family and church in our prayers.

 

The truck driver needs to serve time for vehicular homicide.

 

I agree with SBC.

Had a parent, or anyone else been driving for that matter, the trip could have been entirely different. A parent may have driven a little slower, or a little faster, stopped more or less, thereby being out of the way of that driver who was going too fast over a hill.

And yes, Old Regular, I would agree there too. The driver needs to be charged... and probably will be.

 

Much of the speculation about the difference in outcome if someone else were driving is useless. I suspect that anyone who has been driving very long has wondered, perhaps in amazement, at the consequences of a given trip if they had been a few seconds faster or slower.

How many of you, when a traffic light turned green, have paused for a second or two and see a driver speeding across your path through the red light? It is food for thought.

As for those who wonder if these children were believers I would just quote the Scripture: But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.[Mark 10:14, KJV] In my opinion all these children are now in the presence of God along with their grandfather to whom God was exceedingly merciful.

 

Being exceedingly merciful does not always mean one has their heart right with God, nor does it mean that the necessarily placed their faith in Christ Jesus. I have seen atheists who would flat out curse me to my face and yet were just as loving and kind toward their own children that you would think they were saints.

As to the children, only God knows if they were ready to die. The Bible says 'Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin'.
There is an age of accountability, even with children.

We would love to think all of those children, and even the grandfather are in heaven right now, but only God knows for sure.

 

Can you quote Scripture that gives an age of accountability? I would sure like to see it. As far as I am aware the only place in Scripture where accountability before God is discussed in in the incident of the refusal of Israel to enter the Promised Land [Numbers 32:10ff]. Those 20 years old and up were held accountable.

 

I just gave the verse. There is no specific age. If we were to go with the Numbers account, then every alcoholic, drug addict, thief, murderer, etc. under the age of 20 would not have to have their hearts right with the Lord.

Sure, be as rebellious as you want. God does not care until you reach 20?? Give me a break

To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is SIN

 

Standing, the Scriptures are written to adults.

In addition, you cannot simply take one verse and built a doctrine around it. Bible explains Bible. OldRegular is right when he talks about this 'age of 20'. God chose that age for a reason. It has NOTHING to do with His caring or not caring! It has everything to do with God knowing the way people mature and how their brains and hearts work.

Now the age of 20 may have been, and I have a suspician was, very generous. Usually by 18 or so a young person knows right and wrong for themselves and not as a matter of peer pressure, bigger allowances, better grades, or simple rebellion or whatever.

These children in that accident are in heaven. Period. It is the mother, right now, who is in a private hell of her own and I pray with all my heart that she can get through this and that the Lord strengthens and comforts her every minute of every day for the rest of her life. That goes for the other surviving family members as well. I cannot imagine the heartbreak.

And I pray they have a pastor who knows the children are with the Lord, too. The mother needs to know that.