There are times throughout the course of our lives when we see or hear something that shakes us to the core of our souls, and if we're not careful, it can have such an impact upon us that we can even begin to question how any loving God could allow such things to happen.
Just recently, we all witnessed an event of this magnitude unfold before us as the news broke about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary.
I can't even begin to imagine what the family members of these little children are going through, or what they will go through in the years to come. Nothing that any of us have experienced - no matter how tragic - can even begin to compare.
I can't even begin to understand how anyone could do somethning so incredibly evil, and I can't imagine any group of victims that would be more innocent and undeserving of such an act.
What's equally as horrific to me is the reactions of those who would attempt to use this event as a opportunity to promote their political or social agendas within just a few days of this incident. I think of the families of these beautiful chidren, and how painful it must be for them to not only have experienced such a horrific loss, but to then see the pictures of their children being used by people who care more about their own agenda than they do about the heartache these families are enduring.
It is out of our own anger and frustration that we respond the way that we do. I understand that. But before we even consider speaking out about what we believe the solution to this problem is, we need to first consider, and respect, the need for these families to have some privacy as they attempt to work their way through the unimaginable pain, loss, heartache, anger, and confusion they are certainly feeling.
As I attempted to gather my own thoughts on this, I could only come up with one answer that made a difference in my mind. Would it help these families to know that answer? I don't know. At this time, probably not. But it's true, and it's comforting for me to know.
The only way any of this can become even slightly less painful is if we can remove ourselves from the situation for just a moment and look at it from an eternal perspective. Please know that as I write this, I absolutely despise the evil act this man carried out. I can't help but to see it as the most despicable, cowardly, evil thing that anyone could possibly do.
But know this: He didn't win. Evil didn't win. In fact, within a fraction of a second, in the twinkling of an eye, evil suffered a convincing loss. You see, these children, these completely innocent victims, are today in paradise. In Matthew 19:14, we read;
"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
I didn't know the man responsible for these horrific acts, nor have I heard much about him. But judging by his actions, I think it's a pretty safe guess to say that when he took his own life, he went to a very different place.
But here's the amazing and beautiful truth about what is the reality of today. These beautiful little children are in the presence of God Himself, where they will reside for eternity. The beauty of what they are seeing, feeling, and experiencing is just as far removed from our understanding as are the acts which sent them there.
If they could speak to us at this very moment, I truly believe they would say something very similar to this: "It is so incredibly beautiful here.......Please know that we are so very loved, we are so very safe, and that we will never again feel pain, or illness, or fear. We are in the arms of Jesus Himself, and we can't wait till you get here so you can see it for yourself."
I believe that they also know where their killer went, and as unimaginable as it may sound, they would want us to forgive him and move forward. After all, the evil he inflicted upon our world doesn't even come close to the evil he will be the victim of for eternity.
We're only human, and we can only see events like this from a human perspective. It will hurt for a very long time, because these children aren't coming back. But if we believe, we will be with them again, and that will be the most beautiful homecoming we could ever imagine.
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