Tragedy

I am not even sure where to begin this post.  My words will not do my thoughts and feelings justice...but I feel that I must express the overflow of my heart.

The murder of babies and adults in Connecticut yesterday was atrocious.  It was unfathomable.  It was despicable.  It.was.horrific.

I cannot imagine AND pray I never have to imagine what those parents are feeling.  The loss of your child...what worse pain you could you EVER endure?  None I believe.  Flesh of your flesh.  Bone of your bone.  Their budding personality deleted.  Their place in this life left empty...remaining void forever.  Nothing can EVER replace the spot they carved out in this world.

I could address many things this morning as I grieve over these losses....how I am growing more and more accustomed to the idea of homeschooling, how much I miss the days of innocence, that all three of the high schools in our district were under a "gun threat" on Tuesday, how I desperately want people to come to Christ {especially a certain dear friend}, why my sweet husband had to pray over me yesterday morning {before the shooting had even taken place}, how the second coming of Christ is soon.  I could type for days on those subjects, but I feel God is telling me to focus on the "why" of yesterday.

Non-believers CANNOT begin to fathom why a god who is supposed to be so amazing, loving and perfect could have done this.  And without a belief in the one true God, they will never understand.  I feel very inadequate to share about this tragedy, so I will let the great Billy Graham speak for me.  Here are excerpts from a post he wrote yesterday: 

For humans, there is a mystery as to why God created the earth. There is a mystery as to why He put people on this earth. But God has revealed answers through the Bible and through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. In the Bible you will find the answers to the questions and the problems of your life.

Suffering carries a message of mystery. The Bible says, “Great is the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16). We don’t know the answer.” And we may never know until God explains all things to us.

The Bible teaches that Satan is the author of sin. Sin is the reason that we have afflictions, including death. All of our problems and our suffering, including death itself, are a result of man’s rebellion against God. But God has provided a rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s why Christ died on the cross. That’s why He rose from the dead.

In suffering there is also a message of compassion. Jesus said, “for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35-36). 

In suffering there is a message of unity. Jesus prayed “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You” (John 17:21). And that’s the way we ought to be as Christians, one in Christ. If you have been born into the family of God, you are a child of God. You are brothers and sisters.

Suffering holds a message of comfort. In Second Corinthians we read:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Because tragedy happened to you, it gives you a greater sense of oneness with others who experience tragedy. You can feel for them in that suffering situation. Because we have been comforted through the Word of God, we in turn may be able to comfort others.

First, it {our attitude toward suffering} should be one of worship. We ought to say, “O God, I believe You are the great and mighty God. I don’t understand all the things that are happening in my life, but, O God, I trust in You.”

Second, we should ask God to teach us all He would have us learn about Him, about ourselves, about others and how we can minister to those who are suffering.
Third, our attitude in suffering should glorify God. People are going to watch us as Christians. They will ask, “How is it that Christ is so in control of his or her life that he or she was able to help others?”

Jesus suffered and died for us on the cross, but God raised Him from the dead. Jesus Christ now sits at the right hand of God the Father, and He sees our suffering. He sees our life every day and knows exactly where we stand.

The Bible teaches that we are to be patient in suffering. That’s the hardest thing of all, to be patient, to have songs in the night. Ask God to help you have a trusting, patient attitude, and flee from bitterness.

In suffering there is also, I believe, a message of warning. Are you prepared to meet God? What do you have to do to be ready? God took the initiative in giving His Son, Jesus Christ. God says, “I love you. I want to forgive you. I want you to go to heaven.” But you must respond to Him. Find hope, peace, and security today.

The last paragraph, to me, says it all.