Pastor Eugene Leonard is praising God despite losing 10-year-old daughter Ramiah in a fatal car crash
Article By Tyra Mack // EEW Magazine // Inspiration
Pastor Eugene and Lady Rasheda Leonard are mourning the loss of their 10-year-old daughter, Ramiah (Credit: Facebook)
A grieving pastor is inspiring the masses by sincerely praising God in song after he and his wife lost their 10-year-old daughter in a gruesome motor vehicle accident.
Eugene Leonard Jr., senior pastor of Life Center Church in Anniston, AL belted a heartfelt rendition of “I Won’t Complain,” despite having to say a heart-wrenching goodbye to his little girl, Ramiah Elizabeth Leonard.
The accident occurred while his wife, Rasheda Leonard, mother of Ramiah, was driving the pair’s daughter to Oxford Elementary School on Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, where she attended fifth grade.
According to WBRC news, Mrs. Leonard’s Lexus was struck on the passenger side by a jeep as she was making a left turn at an intersection.
Ramiah died from her injuries at Regional Medical Center.
Ramiah and mom Rasheda having fun at Cheaha Mountain State Park (Credit: Facebook)
In a heartfelt and honest Facebook post, the heartbroken father wrote, "My humanity wants to be mad at God and question God.”
But instead of being angry, he has chosen to be thankful.
“God allowed me to borrow an angel for 10 years. I spent 10 years with a beautiful, smart, energetic, God-loving princess,” Pastor Leonard reflected while hundreds of messages and prayers poured out online for him and his family.
He describes Ramiah on a GoFundMe page set up in her honor as having been energetic, passionate, full of personality and zest. She dreamed of attending Spelman—the oldest historically black college for women in America—and hoped to become an entrepreneur, cosmetologist, makeup artist and a teacher.
Pastor Leonard said Ramiah and her mother were best friends and “spent every day together.”
The mother-daughter pair enjoyed getting manicures and pedicures, dressing alike, going to the movies, staying up all night baking and eating Chick-Fil-A.
Mother and daughter (Credit: Facebook)
“Ramiah loved life and her family, but her mom was her right-hand lady and they were inseparable,” said her father.
Despite not understanding the earth-shattering loss, Pastor Leonard wrote, “If I don't question God when He blesses me as to why He blesses me; then I should not have the audacity to question Him when He takes something that belonged to Him anyway.”
He continued, “I'm not trying to be spiritual but I want to help someone who might go through some type of loss. I can't just bless God at all times as long as it's a blessing. My daughters shift wasn't a curse but a blessing for her.”
He ended his musings by paraphrasing and personalizing a popular biblical song of praise found in Psalm 34:1: “I still will bless God at all times; and His praise shall continually be in my mouth,” he said.