Trying To Make Sense...

Yesterday an incredibly tragic act of violence happened to a news station in my hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. I assume most of you have heard about it, but to sum it up really quickly, a disgruntled ex-employee of WDBJ7 (local CBS affiliate) shot and killed a reporter and photo journalist on live tv. LIVE TV. He also wounded another woman who was being interviewed by the reporter.

Shock.

Shock is the word that I felt after yesterday's events. How could something like this happen? Again? Why did this type of event keep happening? Why is there so much hate in the world?

I found myself thinking about my daughter and the world in which she might grow up. All too often I have wished we lived in a different time, when things were simpler and people loved each other more. When fatal shootings didn't become a monthly thing that you heard about on the news.

Hurting people hurt people. It is a sad sentence, but oh so true. Yesterday's events show me that this world needs love. This world needs prayer. This world needs Jesus. We have removed God from our lives, He isn't allowed in the places where He is needed most. Evil is getting the upper hand and it is time that we do something about it.

Let's love each other better. Let's love each other more. We are all human, we ALL make mistakes. People need grace and they need love. God's love. Let's go out and just love the heck out of people.

You never know what someone is going through. That person who just cut you off on the interstate? They might have just received some tragic news themselves and are trying like crazy to get off the road and get to their loved ones...you just don't know. That person needs love, not a bad reaction, no matter what they are going through. Trust me, I'm the first one to admit that I am quick to react sometimes; I know it is hard, but instead of rushing to condemn or call someone a name, we should simply stop and pray for them. Because they clearly need it.

I don't have answers to a lot of things. I have no clue why the events of yesterday had to happen.
But here is what I do know:
I refuse to allow my daughter to live in fear, wondering what type of world she will inherit. I WILL raise my daughter to be a light for this world. I WILL continue to raise her to love others, to care for others, to pray for others. I WILL teach her that the way to handle a disagreement is not with violence, but by simply praying for the person who caused you pain. I WILL teach her that bad things do happen, but our God is bigger than all of that.

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (New Living Translation)