'Death isn't the end' for NC couple who lost sons in 2015 crash

Gentry and Hadley Eddings talked about their hardships with students at Gardner-Webb University, saying the Lord has turned beauty to ashes.

“We don’t know how we have this much peace. We don’t know how we have this much strength. It’s just the Lord, he’s giving it to us,” said Hadley Eddings said.

The Eddings lost their two sons, Dobbs and Reed, in a devastating car crash in May 2015. The event changed their lives in an instant. Through grief and forgiveness toward the driver at fault, they hope others can learn from their story.

“The Lord will use terrible things for good to bring glory to his name because he is sovereign and he is good,” said Hadley Eddings.

The couple spoke together Tuesday at Garner-Webb University and their story touched many students.

“I feel like God is so powerful and he can work through so many testimonies in so many ways and I just really enjoyed their message. I thought beauty to ashes was a great message that applied to me in my life too,” said student Courtney Kanetzke.

The Eddings are now able to celebrate the blessings in their lives. They’ve helped build a school- the Dobbs and Reed Primary School- in Haiti through the Mission of Hope. More recently, the couple announced the exciting news that they are expecting twins, due in July.

“Grappling with that idea that it’s not betraying my children who are no longer here to have more children and that was kind of the things you had to work through before we decided that we wanted to try again,” said Hadley Eddings.

“It reminds us that God is a restorer and that in Jesus’ name and he can redeem anything and that death isn’t the end of a story,” said Gentry Eddings.

Matthew Deans, the suspect in the crash that killed Dobbs and Reed Eddings, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to one year in prison.