There are dates that will forever be etched in our memories, of those April 20th, 1999 - the Columbine Shooting and 9-11 when thousands were killed at the hands of a horrible act of terrorists. And to add to those dates is December 14th, 2012, when a senseless and evil act by one human being took the lives of 20 innocent first grade children and 6 adults.
My heart aches and the tears come randomly and often in my day and at night when my head lays on the pillow. Children who are the same age as my middle child. I absolutely can not imagine what these families are facing right now. I pray because that is all I know to do. I cry out to God for his peace and mercies to pour out on those hurting and on the children who survived but will face nightmares and trauma in the coming days and years ahead.
Many of us ask the question of "Why? Why would someone do such a terrible act, especially taking the lives of precious children? How could someone stoop so low and do something so evil, so dark, so senseless?" We live in a fallen and broken world. Go back to the beginning and you see Cain kill his very own brother. We live in a world of sin, pain, hopelessness, and darkness. There is a massive battle in the spiritual realm, one we can neither see or fully understand, but a very real battle for our souls. The Bible says, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."
The man who did this senseless act, whose name doesn't deserve any credit at all, was living in a world of darkness. It was a plan straight from the pit of hell. He did not know God's love and He fumbled in the dark. He knew no light.
In John 8:12 it says, "Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." We will continue to see evil played out for as long as we live on this earth. But we can all be a light in this dark world and reach out to those who are in the dark. Who do you know who needs to experience the love of God, to feel his embrace, to have the weight lifted, the darkness removed? We all know someone.
Today we remember those precious children and women whose lives were taken abruptly. "Lord, please shine in the midst of this darkness and tragedy. Embrace those who are hurting deeper than they ever imagined possible. Bring your peace and forgiveness to their hearts. I ask you to comfort those moms, dads, siblings, husbands, children, grandparents, friends and an entire community who are mourning. Help each of us across the nation and world who are struggling to wrap our minds around something so horrific. May good somehow come from this tragedy as many turn their hearts and lives over to you. Thank you for being our refuge, help and strength in difficult times. In Jesus name I pray. Amen".
In Loving Memory of:
Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Rachel Davino, 29
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Madeline Hsu, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
James Mattioli, 6
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Jack Pinto, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison Wyatt, 6
(photos courtesy of abcnews.com)
(photos courtesy of abcnews.com)
The one thing that brings me peace is to know that Jesus has embraced these children and women in His arms! They are safe now!
That picture of Jesus is the perfect picture. It brings hope. Thank you for posting this. Still too hard to even talk about or write about for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat precious children and teachers. Absolutely heartbreaking. Thank you for your lovely tribute, Andrea.
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