Don't Choose Fear

The events of yesterday's shooting in Connecticut has left our nation grieving for children and families and questioning how something like this could even happen.

I'm not going to sit here and act like I have all the answers.

I don't.

I'm simply a parent who knows that we live in a fallen world.
A world full of sinners.
Sinners like you and me.
Who need a savior.
THE Savior.

While I sat in the office watching the news streaming in about the event, I saw those kids being lead out of the school.  Those young kids.  I began thinking about how much those "young kids" looked like my own kids.  MY 7-year old.  MY kindergartener.

That could have been their school.
That could have been Zeke's class.

The internet quickly exploded with opinions from parents, politicians and many others. Some with suggestions on how to fix the broken system of school security, many who began the "no gun" banter, and many others stating that we should all just homeschool our children.

But the fact is that we can't just change our lifestyle to try to prevent evil things from happening.

Sure, there are safety precautions we can and will take, but to automatically decide to pull our kids out of school isn't the answer.

Evil is going to happen.

It does happen.

It happens all around us.
In fact, not only were school-aged children gunned down here in America, but 22 children were injured by a knife attack outside of their school in China yesterday as well.

It happens in movie theaters.
It happens at the mall.
It happens in the safety of a senior center.
It happens in High schools.
It happens at the grocery store.
It happens in Elementary schools.
And unfortunately it happens in our own homes.

That is the consequence of this fallen world.

But we cannot live in fear.

We must choose to live by faith.
Believing that this world is not our home.
Believing that God is holding us, through the good AND the bad.
Believing that those sweet children are being held by Him right now, and that, as painful as it is, they are in the better place!

So, pray for those families.
Pray for our nation.
Pray for our world.
Pray for God to come quickly.

And by all means, hold your children close, not out of fear of the "what if's" but in love and confidence, for the ONE who created them has planned out their days.

"Your eye saw my unformed body,

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be."

Psalm 139:16