I can't get Hailey Owens off my mind. Even without the news and Facebook reminders, I still daily think of her and her family.
"Where is God in all this?" "How can a loving God allow such things to happen?"
How many times have we heard these questions, or asked them ourselves.
As I have pondered this situation a different perspective has come to my mind. May I be so bold as to write it down in black and white:
There is no good in this world, EXCEPT for God. If it were not for God all of our children would be murdered and kidnapped. We would be so overrun with crime that we could never leave our homes. So I say again, "There is no good in this world except for God."
Did anyone notice that it was ONE man that took the life of Hailey Owens, and it was TEN THOUSAND that showed up in support for her family? What about the FIFTEEN HUNDRED bikers that rode in honor of her? Or the MULTITUDE of prayers, money, food, and other donations that many people have made to this family. ONE evil vs. THOUSANDS of good.
Instead of questioning God's goodness, maybe we should be thankful for His presence.
The Bible says, " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights,"
When Jesus was on earth He never ceased doing good. He healed, He fed, He comforted, He taught, He loved. He was on this earth for a short 33 years, and when He left He said it was our job to do as He did. We are to BE Jesus on earth.
And this is what it looks like - people rallying around a family in the midst of an atrocious tragedy.
People going out of their way to reach out to someone that they don't even know. People caring enough to watch out for their neighbors.
So, while I say this is a horrendous thing that has happened, I say also that God IS still here, and He IS still good, and He is showing His heart through the thousands of people in this community.
May we never cease to do good, and in so doing may the world know that God is real and that He is good.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
A Mom's Thoughts on a Kidnapping.
I'm a mom.
A mom.
Days like today I don't want to be a mom. I almost wish I wasn't. I don't want to be responsible for the welfare of four young children. I don't want to have to make the decisions that might not turn out. I. Don't. Want. To. I want to lie in my bed and scream. Scream that it's not fair. That it should not be.
Life shouldn't be like this.
You see, I have a friend, and she had a niece. A niece that was kidnapped in a town not far from me yesterday and murdered. A beautiful 10 year old girl who will never turn 11.
It's not fair.
I'm scared. I don't want my children to leave my sight. I don't want them to sleep in their own rooms. I don't even want to let them out in their own backyard to play. My son may never ride his bike down the street again. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm spilling my gut here. And this is what I'm feeling.
There's a lump in my throat and a sickness in the pit of my stomach. I want to move. Get away from.... the world.
Then I have a reality check: We live here. Here on this earth. There's nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. No guarantees.
Maybe we could all hide in a room. With the door locked. And no windows. Maybe one of those bomb shelters from the sixties. No one could get in, and we couldn't get out. No one could even see us or our children. We could stay there until, I don't know, forever? And hide. In the dark.
Sounds good at the moment.
"But, what kind of existence is that?" I think. "It's not," my heart says. "There's no living in the hiding. There's no freedom in fear."
"Why did this happen?" Everyone wants to know. "I HAVE NO IDEA!!!" I want to scream. And I don't. And the lump comes back to my throat.
I do know we live in a fallen world. One that's not perfect and never will be until Christ comes and makes all things new. I also know that no matter what I do, I can't guarantee my children will survive tomorrow, or tonight, for that matter. In my heart I know that keeping them in a bomb shelter will only stifle their lives instead of strengthen them.
We were meant to live in the light. We were meant to spread our wings. To try new things and discover. To experiment and explore. To live up to our full potential. To be what HE created us to be.
You can't do that while you're hiding from "what might happen." Neither can your kids. Or mine.
Sometimes "things" do happen. Terrible things. We do our best to teach and prepare our kids, but sometimes they still happen..... Sin reigns on this earth we live on. But the truth is, that's exactly where Satan wants us to be. So scared of the bad that we can't do any good. That we aren't any good.
I don't want that to be me. I want to let my kids enjoy the "sunshine" of this life. I want to trust in Someone greater than myself. I choose to trust that even in the midst of the heartache and craziness of this life that God is still working, and that I have a purpose greater than hiding.
There is NO living in the hiding.
I keep reminding myself that, and I keep praying for this dear family.
A mom.
Days like today I don't want to be a mom. I almost wish I wasn't. I don't want to be responsible for the welfare of four young children. I don't want to have to make the decisions that might not turn out. I. Don't. Want. To. I want to lie in my bed and scream. Scream that it's not fair. That it should not be.
Life shouldn't be like this.
You see, I have a friend, and she had a niece. A niece that was kidnapped in a town not far from me yesterday and murdered. A beautiful 10 year old girl who will never turn 11.
It's not fair.
I'm scared. I don't want my children to leave my sight. I don't want them to sleep in their own rooms. I don't even want to let them out in their own backyard to play. My son may never ride his bike down the street again. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm spilling my gut here. And this is what I'm feeling.
There's a lump in my throat and a sickness in the pit of my stomach. I want to move. Get away from.... the world.
Then I have a reality check: We live here. Here on this earth. There's nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. No guarantees.
Maybe we could all hide in a room. With the door locked. And no windows. Maybe one of those bomb shelters from the sixties. No one could get in, and we couldn't get out. No one could even see us or our children. We could stay there until, I don't know, forever? And hide. In the dark.
Sounds good at the moment.
"But, what kind of existence is that?" I think. "It's not," my heart says. "There's no living in the hiding. There's no freedom in fear."
"Why did this happen?" Everyone wants to know. "I HAVE NO IDEA!!!" I want to scream. And I don't. And the lump comes back to my throat.
I do know we live in a fallen world. One that's not perfect and never will be until Christ comes and makes all things new. I also know that no matter what I do, I can't guarantee my children will survive tomorrow, or tonight, for that matter. In my heart I know that keeping them in a bomb shelter will only stifle their lives instead of strengthen them.
We were meant to live in the light. We were meant to spread our wings. To try new things and discover. To experiment and explore. To live up to our full potential. To be what HE created us to be.
You can't do that while you're hiding from "what might happen." Neither can your kids. Or mine.
Sometimes "things" do happen. Terrible things. We do our best to teach and prepare our kids, but sometimes they still happen..... Sin reigns on this earth we live on. But the truth is, that's exactly where Satan wants us to be. So scared of the bad that we can't do any good. That we aren't any good.
I don't want that to be me. I want to let my kids enjoy the "sunshine" of this life. I want to trust in Someone greater than myself. I choose to trust that even in the midst of the heartache and craziness of this life that God is still working, and that I have a purpose greater than hiding.
There is NO living in the hiding.
I keep reminding myself that, and I keep praying for this dear family.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)