Unexpected goodbyes

Two weeks ago my friend was murdered. This woman loved the Lord and gleaned Him. Her heart was beautiful and everyone that met her immediately felt her love for the Lord and the joy that was in her heart from the Lord. She overcame obstacles that would destroy most, but not only did she survive them, she over came them and she gave GOD all the glory.
I met this amazing woman in Germany, she became a precious friend, a prayer partner, and a confidant. We taught our last bible study together before she moved, we finished up our study and she moved the following week, to Virginia, only days after her husband returned from his deployment to Afghanistan.
Through Facebook, we've kept in touch, continued to pray for each other. Her son disappeared last year and we prayed for his safe return and she's advocated for him and other young adults who get caught up in modern day slavery (those college age kids knocking on  your door to sell magazines, are not in school, they're ultimately being kept from their families. They have no money, no phones, no vehicles, they're being packed into cheap motel rooms, and are being shipped from one city to the next, one state to the next, often not being fed enough to keep the stomach pains away, rarely getting much rest, often being physically abused by their "managers", and being kept away from their friends and family who have no idea where they are." She was working with the FBI and her state Senators on this issue, to bring other young adults home and get them out of this awful thing. Amazing mom, amazing woman.
So how was such an amazing woman murdered? What we know is in December her husband hurt her, was hitting her. We do not know if this has been an ongoing issue, or a recent behavior that started. When I say we, I'm talking about her Army wives sisters. A restraining order and his removal from the home happened. We know that on Saturday he showed up at their home and threatened her and she called the police, who had been out looking for him. We know that he waited until she left for work Sunday night, followed her and pushed her vehicle off the road, then got out of his truck and shot her, called the police, confessed, got into the passenger side of her truck and killed himself.
He left their children as orphans. The oldest two boys were not biologically his, but he'd raised them as his own, the middle two were biologically theirs, and they adopted their niece when she was an infant. Now a 15, 13, and 7 year old are left to grow up without their parents and two very young men of 19 and 20 are left to navigate this world without their parents, and let me just say, most importantly, without their mom. Without their wonderful, beautiful, God-fearing, mother.
I'm so sad for these kids. I'm heartbroken that these babies have to live the rest of their lives knowing what their dad did to their momma. I'm heart broken that they will never get the best hugs ever, from their momma.
Murder/Suicide, I don't think it ever makes sense, no matter who is involved. I have never had this happen to someone I love. What I know is there are truly 3 families destroyed. The family they created together and their own families they came from. Grief is abounding from all walks of life, from their families, military family, and friends throughout the years. My heart is heavy. Satan does not win, my sweet friend won. She's with Jesus now and her children KNOW she's with the Lord. They know that she loved them with all her heart and that she did all she could to protect them. God wins, he always will. I have to remind myself of that. Good will always beat out evil. What I know is that what was intended to be evil, will turn into good. We praise him through this storm, we will pray her children through this. We will live better, because of the beautiful example my friend taught me, who emulated our Lord.
I continue to cry out to Jesus, lift my prayers, my heart, up to Him.
This may have been an unexpected goodbye, but oh I can only imagine what a beautiful reunion my precious friend is having with the Lord right now, for that I am thankful.