Why? Why must there be such horrible, horrible things happen in this world? And why to innocent children? Yesterday, as I was driving to the elementary school to sub in the preschool, my thoughts drifted to the events of Friday. My day was beginning like any other day…a normal day. The kids and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary began their day on Friday as a normal day, too. It suddenly took a turn for the worse…with no warning. How was mine going to end? A normal day? 
A sunrise…something we take for granted.
My heart aches for each family member suffering from the pain of losing someone they dearly loved. The magnitude of emotions they are trying to deal with is incomprehensible to me!
Upon entering our school, I saw our flag at half staff. I was instantly sick to my stomach.
The preschool teacher and I talked about “what would you do” for our classroom and for our school for quite some time. We looked around the room and tried to figure out where we’d go or how we’d react. We wondered if we’d be able to find safety for everyone. How many other teachers felt this way yesterday? I haven’t spent a lot of time in that classroom but I’ve been there long enough to grow to love those kids! I can’t imagine the fear the teachers in Sandy Hook experienced and all the while thinking only of the kids they’ve grown to love. The world is a scary place right now. I know God has his arms wrapped around the families who are dealing with this horrific pain. I also know God was in Sandy Hook Elementary that dreadful day. I pray He gives strength to those who are in dire need of it right now. I pray He comforts those involved with this tragedy in a way only He can do. I pray He lifts each of them up and carries them through this deep, dark valley. The sun will come up again tomorrow. Will it be a normal day? I find comfort in believing that it will.
Incredibly tragic. Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that makes it very hard for me to believe in any kind of God. It just seems there has to be a better plan than one that involves the brutal deaths of innocents in this way.
Nowhere does it say that anyone HAS to believe in God. We are free to make the choice – God has given us free will to follow Him or not. One of the attributes of free will is the decision to go against your creator. I say this because I’m not here to debate whether God is real or not. I personally believe He IS real. I also believe God had nothing to do with the horrific circumstances that led to the death of 26 lives. I believe it broke His heart. It’s the same sort of debate as guns and taking them away. Guns didn’t kill those children, a living human being killed those children. God didn’t intend for this evil to happen. Just as he didn’t intend on Cain killing Abel. These actions were the result of a choice made by a human being. I believe God was there. He was with those people who were murdered. He was with the emergency responders. He is with the families. Have you ever lost a child? I guarantee it is the worst thing that could happen to a parent. It’s the caring and compassion of friends and family that will help those families heal. It is through people who love a God – a God who never intended for sin to be a part of our world (Adam & Eve) – that will help the survivors cope. I also believe things happen for a reason. Maybe you visiting my blog was an intentional part of His plan for your life.
I must admit that I myself struggle with the question of whether or not God is real, but one thing I have come to realize is that man as an animal has an innate desire to be governed over. As illustrated in stories in the Bible, as well as the headlines in our own times, as man moves away from God and his teachings in the Bible and towards being governed by mere men, we become more animalistic. We have gone so far as to start killing our own young! As “primitive” as we may consider the writers of the Bible to be, one thing is clear, they have the formula for saving humanity, and if we don’t start following it, there is little hope for us.
You put a lot of thought in this, Doug! Pretty deep and so well written! I hope you and your family have a Blessed Christmas!