“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” James 4:14 NIV.

We don’t know when and we don’t know how, but we do know that people are often taken from this world when we least expect it. Death is especially difficult to understand when it takes healthy, vibrant, young people so unexpectedly.

Elizabeth Lykowski was one young woman whose death shocked everyone who knew her. A student at Indiana Tech, Lykowski was found dead in her dorm room on Saturday, Oct. 3. Doctors said a heart defect caused her death.

She was 21, full of life and had endless possibilities for her future. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed volleyball player from Indiana Tech was all set to graduate this May with a degree in human resources. According to Monroe News, she was going to coach volleyball at her alma mater, Whiteford High School, next fall.

Lykowski was hard worker and dedicated to both her studies and her sport. She would have celebrated her 22^nd birthday on Oct. 27.

It’s one of those times when reality hits you right in the face. For the Cornerstone volleyball team, it certainly forced them to think about it because Indiana Tech was their next game.

“It really made us all stop and think ‘What if that was someone on our team?’ because it could have happened to anyone,” junior Holly Cousins said.

“Also, it made us have a reality check too, not to take things or people for granted because you don’t know when their time is up.”

Sophomore volleyball player Alicia TerHaar said how unreal it seemed. Seeing death on the news or in movies is one thing, but “you’d never guess it would happen to close to home,” she said. “We were told about what happened before practice on Monday and everyone was totally shocked.”

“It’s scary how at any time, life could end,” TerH               aar said. “It’s even scarier if there’s nothing left after death…at least as a Christian, we have reassurance that there is something to look forward too. It’s just crazy to think about. I could not imagine losing a teammate or classmate.”

Surely the students at Indiana Tech couldn’t imagine it either happening to one of their own either, until last week. It’s important that CU keep the school in our prayers, especially since it is not a Christian college.

“In this situation, it has been a really good opportunity to witness to the Tech community,” TerHaar said.

We may not always know why God does what He does. In fact, we often question Him, especially when a life is taken. But this can be a way for students here to reach out to people who are hurting.

Pray for Elizabeth’s family and her school. Pray that God will make Himself known through this.

Think about it yourselves too. It could have been your friend, your sister, your teammate. Life is precious and so short. We are fragile human beings; God didn’t design our bodies to last forever. He didn’t tell us when our time would be up. Keep that in mind as you go about your daily routine and thank Him for life, because it is a gift.