John 16:33- Remembering Sandy Hook

    I woke up this morning in a crappier mood than usual. Normally I can get out of bed, grab a cup of coffee, make myself look presentable, and go about my day. But this morning was a little different. My mother came down the stairs at 7:00am and told me that I was going to drive my brother to school and then drop my other brother's lunch money off to him. I was warm, in my bed, and hadn't quite finished my dream yet. Begrudgingly and looking like a hot mess, I pulled on some jeans, threw on my Angel hoodie, and got into my car to wait for my brother. Now, I hate being in a bad mood. There is enough hate and anger in this world for all 5'3 of me to contribute any more. I put up a quick prayer and asked the Lord to please, for the sake of everyone around me, put some joy in my heart for the day. 

But He did something a little different. 

   Instead I saw these faces. The small, little faces of Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Benjamin Wheeler, and Allison Wyatt. 

     The thought came in my head how lucky I was to be driving my brother to school that morning. I thought of how badly the siblings and parents of these little children wish that they could be driving their child to school today and not identifying and claiming their bodies from a morgue. Ironically enough, the day of the Sandy Hook shooting, my own elementary school, the one my brother attends, had a lock down drill to practice what would be done if an armed gunman were to come into the school. Their drill started at 9:30 am. 

     Sometimes, I admittedly struggle with this aspect of my faith. If our God is so good and so loving, why were 26 innocent lives taken from the world so viciously? They hadn't done anything wrong. They were just babies. Why was Adam Lanza's sickness allowed to take over his mind so much so that he was driven to absolute madness? Its hard for me to let go of my human pride and admit that I don't have the answer. Its hard for me to understand that we'll never understand why the Lord allows such evil to exist in the world. 

But I have hope. 

     I have hope because of women like Rachel Davino, Dawn Hochsprung, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, and Victoria Soto who died trying to save their students.I have hope because in that moment, humanity completely forgot about itself and gave its life for another human being. I have hope because Christ has already overcome the world (hence John 16:33). So today, hug your siblings/children a little tighter and tell the people around you that you love them. Stand outside for a moment and take a deep breath- let the air fill every fiber of your being. Feel the sunshine gently warm your face. Live every moment to the fullest because there are 27 people who will never have the chance to experience the beauty of this world. Your strength will come from the Lord- you need only ask.  

Pray for these women and children by name today. Lets keep their memory of innocence and loyalty alive by living our own lives joyfully and to the absolute fullest. Pray for their families and their community. Pray that their mothers and fathers be given the strength and will to live. Pray that their hearts be given a peace that surpasses all human understanding and that we, as a Nation, do everything in our power to make sure that a tragedy like this never happens again. 

Peace and Blessings <3