Sandy Hook Reflections

It's been almost two weeks since I logged onto the internet and first got word of the evil that left a nation heartbroken and parents like myself desperate for comfort and hope for a better future for our children. I wanted to write briefly about my thoughts and feelings over the incident, not because I feel like my readers need my comments, but because I believe that some day my children will have sons and daughters of their own, and they will have to learn how to raise them in a world where such occurrences are possible. I want to remember what it's like to hear about destroyed families and lost children so that I can turn it into some kind of wisdom about how to live in such a world. I thankfully don't have to explain Sandy Hook to Rhett right now. He goes on his merry life, not knowing anything of the pain and devastation that the nation has felt over the past two weeks. But some day I will. No matter what gun control laws are (hopefully) passed, some day, Rhett is going to turn on the news and see a falling tower,or a school shooting or a building with a bomb. He's going to wonder how their can be such evil in the world, and how we can believe in a God that allows such evil to exist. Along with millions of Americans, I wept for the city of Newtown this week. I wept for parents who will never hold their children again. And I wept to think about Rhett realizing some day that life is sometimes just so shitty.With my son in my arms, I wept and prayed and screamed until I didn't have the energy to do it anymore.  True and deep evil exists and it is all around us. And there's nothing that we can do but cling to the hope of our lives in heaven. In difficult and evil times, there's nothing to say that makes sense other than this: someday, all of our pain and tears will be washed away. We do have the joy of looking forward to our life in heaven with Christ.