3 - Open letter to visitors
Greetings,
I’m a long time friend of the Sandens. I know you share our grief at the news that Matthew did not survive the terrible illness that hit with an awful vengence just weeks ago.
We’ve created a place on-line for you to share your thoughts… and get information. It’s a blog set up to remember our friend Matthew, and his dear family. We’d like to post your reflections, perhaps Scriptures, memories, photos, links.
Click on WELCOME. You’ll find instructions there for adding a comment or a post. Please e-mail me directly anytime with your questions, comments or ideas. Return to the site from time to time as we add posts and comments. Bookmark it. Check it regularly.
Many of you are a long time, dear friends to the Sanden family. Please feel free to forward the link to this site to people you know who have been touched by this tragic loss.
The Sandens have been among our most cherished friends through the years. Let’s let them know how much we love them.
Sincerely,
Ken and Carolyn Kemp
Placentia, California
Thank You for creating this space. I will enjoy reading. My heart is broken, but our Lord keeps on supporting all of us, as he has this year. Gramma Gay
Dear Nick, Colleen and Michael,
We are so saddened to hear of Matt’s passing - he will surely be missed. I remember all the high school years we sat on the sidelines rooting for the boys’ Hemet High soccer team - they were fun years and will always be remembered. You have been such good friends throughout the years and we want you to know that our prayers are with you at this time. Please, please let us know if there is anything that we can do. We love you and mourn with you at this time. Rhonda, Brian and Dusty Shumway
Words cannot describe the significant role the Sandens have played in my life. Our families have been the best of friends for as long as I can remember, and the Sandens are very much an extension of my own family. Matt will be greatly missed and never forgotten. His loss is staggering, but it is comforting to know that he is more alive in this very moment than he ever has been.
Nick, Colleen, Mikey, and Melissa - you are loved more than you could ever know. I am so grateful that you have an entire army of people who know you, love you, and will stand beside you in this difficult time. You mean so much to us, and I hope that we can be encouraging, understanding, and loving friends to you, the way you have always been for us.
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of living. Psalm 116:8-9
Dear Nick and Colleen
I woke up early this morning and could not go back to sleep. I was thinking of Matt and as I lied in bed staring up with tears in my eyes, my thoughts went back 19 years ago to a Sunday school class room at the Idyllwild Bible Church. I remember the room full of young people and a fun loving young man with a beautiful grin who loved to play soccer. I remember times when we would take the kids out and how Matt would clown around always with that grin. I remember teaching Matt and his classmates Ephesians 2:8,
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves,………It is the gift of God, not of works so that no one can boast.”
I clearly remember how easy it was for Matt to remember verses we taught. I wish I could go back to that time and sit out on the grass again talk with Matt and run and play soccer with him and his classmates. I remember a father’s day celebration two or three years ago I believe, when Matt and Michael came up to Idyllwild to honor their Dad. I remember talking with Matt afterwards and him telling me how he would never forget Psalms 1:1-6 a verse I was able to teach him and one he told me he would never forget. He then recounted the verse for me.
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers………………………………….
Matt went on from that time and classroom and he and I lost touch with each other which is so common with Sunday school teachers and students. I am however grateful to God for the time I had with Matt. I am thankful for Nick and Colleen who so loved their son and who raised him and brought him to church every Sunday. I thank God for the gift of Matt’s life.
I want to briefly encourage all who read this, to invest in the life of a young person like Matt. Share your time, energy and love for young people who need to know God’s love and plan for their lives. It won’t be easy, they’ll giggle, squirm, talk out of turn, act up and generally be kids, but I promise that the privilege of teaching and getting to know one who is created in the image of God will bring great reward. Matt did all this for me 19 years ago.
I love you Matt and can’t wait to see that beautiful grin of yours on the day the Lord takes me home.
Wayne Clark
Comfortable composure, leaning against a tree, with shining eyes, delight in his spirit that splashed out on others, fun waiting to happen, thoughtfulness of other’s feelings and interested in what they believed, gentle watching of what people did, lean, spry and fast on his feet, in a moment he was gone, looks in his face that said he had a deep heart and deeper feelings, taking time to think before speaking, letting others speak first, accepting direction but having an obvious look of wheels spinning in his head, a clarity of what he was thinking, asking questions and actually listening, a heart of compassion and a joy that warmed hearts, a delight and yet a bit of a sweet rascal! These are a few of the things that flash in my mind as I grieve and wonder how parents and a brother handle so many precious memories at a time like this. I thank the Lord that He gives us memories so we can remember and not forget special people who have impacted our lives!
Matthew was in our home often from age 2-10, as our daughter considered him as her best friend during their young years because he was a GOOD FRIEND! Babysitting him was easy. As he grew older he was still always easy to talk to and conversations were always deep, no shallowness!
God…it hurts! But how delightful to view the pictures of when Matthew was young. I have often noticed a familiarity in the young face of Jordan Gates that I wondered why it seemed so similar.The first photo I saw on the blog jumped at me as I saw Jordon’s face in Matthews and delighted to know why I loved Jordon’s face. The same sweet, gentle, active spirit is in Jordon and I love it.
One person can impact our lives so deeply and we are connected literally forever! We don’t even know God is skillfully, intentionally putting eternity into our relationships. In the painful passing of one who is forever connected to us, we probably all sense the “blessed hope” which is quickened in us as well as a call to use our lives well. I rejoice that we can look forward to an expected reunion and share with Matthew what his unsuspected departure worked in us. With Matthew’s seemingly untimely exit, I am reminded that God is Thee Almighty, sovereignly in control of the affairs of men. I bow in awe and praise for all He is doing through this in our hearts.
Ecc 8:8 ” No man has the power over the wind to contain it; so no one has the power over the day of his death.”
Prov 14:31 When calamity comes the wicked are brought down, BUT EVEN IN DEATH THE RIGHTEOUS HAVE A REFUGE(!)”
Php 1:21″For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
To all friends and family of Matt,
As we all grieve the loss of my brother, I have been overwhelmed with the love of family and friends. Ken I want to thank you for this wonderful site to remember the 29 years we had with Matt, and to encourage each other through these hard times. To all that have called me I apologize for not returning so many phone calls and emails. To tell you the truth the reality of my brother being gone has been difficult for me to talk about. Tears are pouring down my cheeks as I write now.
I know that God is sovereign and we have to put our trust in him (proverbs 3: 5-7). Truthfully, this is not always easy. I think it is okay to question God as to why this has happened, as Job did in his suffering. But it is important to always remember that God has plans for us that we may never understand. His word also tells us that he works for our good. I trust God in his omniscient power to act even when it hurts.
I have cried many tears over the passed two weeks and I will continue to cry because I want to see my brother, but I have been given a peace because I know he is being embraced by our creator. My kind hearted brother is separated from evil and is no longer suffering and because of that I can praise God even in this storm.