Saturday, April 20, 2013

Now What?

The events of this week in Boston, Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts and in West, Texas have shaken our nation. 

Lives lost, others transformed forever. People still missing. 

To what or whom do we cling at these times? 

Do we allow these events to pull us down into darkness, drinking of the cup of hopelessness, entertaining the emptiness of fear?

Do we cry out to God or stay glued to the endless hours of television coverage?

Do we feel touched, changed even? Now what?

In our home, we cling to Jesus and each other. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

We've watched in horror from our safe place here in rural Ohio. We aren't aware of knowing anyone touched by these events. We met and were married in Massachusetts. Larry lived in Texas for several years. That is as close as it comes. But it still feels close, too close. Too real.

Our loved ones are alive and safe. We aren't living the heart-wrenching anguish of waiting for word - any word - on a loved one who is still missing.We aren't in the midst of grieving and planning a funeral for someone we never dreamed we would have to live without.

Our bodies' are intact. We don't have to mourn the loss of a limb or limbs. We don't have to learn how to walk all over again on legs that have to be strapped on each morning. Or learn to make our way in a wheelchair, taking the world on from a seated position.

Our home has not been lost to fire or blown to bits from an explosion. It is intact, whole, unchanged. We don't have to worry about our address being remembered or for owning a boat that provided refuge to a terrorist.

Larry still has a job to go to on Monday. It wasn't blown off the face of the earth by a force that was felt fifty miles away.

We don't have to live in disbelief that someone we thought we knew allowed hate to shape them, morphing them into people capable of committing horrendous acts. 

We could go on with our lives unchanged by the events of this week. We could just chalk it up to "life" and act like nothing happened. 

We could but that would be a waste. Of lives. Of hopes. Of dreams. 

Let us choose to pray. 

Pray more fervently for our nation. 

Pray for the love of Christ to permeate even the hardest of hearts. 

Pray for hope to be tangible in the lives of those who have lost so much. 

Pray for peace to reign even through hardship.

Pray that God will birth something truly amazing out of the ashes of this week.

Pray, my friends, pray.


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