My heart hurts. Life was lovely until I turned on the radio enroute a day of “fun,” only to hear about the deaths of 50 people who were mowed down in Orlando by an alleged terrorist. Right after that, we heard the tragic news about a young aspiring Christian singer, Christina Grimmie, whose 22 year life was cut short by a gunman while she penned an autograph for a fan. I knew instantly, this was going to be a teachable moment and I couldn’t shy away from it, no matter how much I wished I had not moments before announced, “I need a big dose of God this morning,” as I turned our car radio on.
My 11 year old heard the massacre occurred late at night and said “Mom, that’s why I’m so scared at night.” I was starting to feel the crushing “weight of the world” as I thought about how to explain this nighttime horror to such an impressionable soul. Here’s what came me: “Sweetie, there is good and evil in the world. We can thank our ancestors, Adam and Eve. God wanted to be with us always, but like a good Father, He let go and gave us the freedom to choose to be with Him or to not be with Him. They chose their own way. But not us, we choose God and because of that, He is with us always and forever. That gives us something to look forward to, no matter what happens here.”
As she got out of the car, we agreed we would both pray for the victims, their families and for our country (a few minutes beforehand, she noticed the flags were at half staff and we talked about how people across the United States were sharing grief over this sad news).
Although my heart hurts for the lives that were lost, and for the families who are suffering, and for the nonsense in this world, I maintain Hope. My hope rests in Christ alone and for what He’s done in my life and in the life of my daughter. In this world chock full of choices, not always good ones (my former life attests), I choose Christ.
What do you choose?
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
– John 16:33