Suffering

My heart is heavy, for I, too, am a parent. I cannot imagine getting a notice from my child's school, or seeing on the news, that there has been a shooting at his school.

The suffering today. The fear of the parents waiting for their children to show up. The overwhelming grief when those parents realize their child(ren) were among those senselessly murdered this morning.

Through Christ, we have a God who understands our hurts and broken hearts.

When we look back on this incident and the fallout that is coming – i.e. gun control, stricter standards for security at schools – we will not necessarily see God where children have been murdered.

We will see compassion from a nation and a world who identify with the senseless loss of innocent lives.

We will see riotous anger at the man who killed his parents and then went to a school to murder.

We will see prayers lifted up for the families who lost someone close to them.

We will see prayers for the living children because they will have psychological problems related to the shooting.

We will see an outpouring of love for the town, victims and residents of Newtown, CT.

In those things, we will see God and His great love for us.

In those things, people who did not have a relationship with Christ before today may have their eyes opened to the love and compassion of those who will open their hearts, doors and do anything possible to help in this time of suffering.

Something VERY important to remember during this time. It is not our place to judge the soul of the man who took these many lives. At this moment, he is facing eternity knowing what he has done. No one will truly know if he had a relationship with Christ, but it is not our place to judge him.

The only we can do, as Christians, religious people, parents… the only thing we can truly do is to forgive his actions, as horrendous as they are.

For in forgiveness, we find freedom to live without hatred.

James 5:9-11

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁹ Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. ¹⁰ As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.