I know this is "the topic" on the blogs today, with good reason. It seems that everyone is brokenhearted and saddened over the tragic events this past Friday.
I was a teenager when both the Columbine shootings and the 9/11 attacks took place, and though I remember being sad when they happened, they didn't quite affect me the way the Newtown shootings have. Matthew and I have spent a lot of time talking about this and why. The first reason is simple: I'm a parent now. Not only that, my oldest is the same age as most of the children who were killed. The shootings happened just miles from where we currently live. It makes it all too easy to put myself in the shoes of those parents, though I'm trying hard not to.
No matter how hard I try, I just can't shake the awful feeling inside when I think of it all. Matthew and I emailed back and forth all day on Friday about the unfolding events. And it just got worse and worse. Never before in my life have I been so happy to be a homeschool mom. My six year-old, my second-grader, was sitting right beside me doing his schoolwork when this all happened. He remains wonderfully oblivious and I'm grateful that I don't have to try and explain what happened and why. Well, there is no why, is there?
I mentioned to Matthew when he got home that I was glad to be a Christian on a day like Friday. Not because it's easy to reconcile why these things happen (no one can), but because I'm a firm believer in Hell and eternal punishment for people who do things like this to innocent children.
And also because I believe in Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted."
So as I plan my Christmas holidays with my family, my thoughts and prayers are never going to be far from those who are without theirs this year. It's all I can do.
