Tragedy in CT

I have been thinking about kindergarten students all day. Five and six year-old kids….with no cares and with eyes on Santa Claus coming soon. I see kindergartners every day at our elementary school; you can always spot them, because of their book bags. They are small, innocent and love the world…and they give the BEST high fives, ever. They high five with love and eagerness….unaware of this nasty world we live in and the fact that monsters really do exist, in the form of killers, like the one who showed up at a school in Connecticut yesterday.

As I explained to all three of my kids what had happened, the boys asked a few questions and Taya just kept saying she didn't want to be killed. I assured them all they are safe and that particular bad man in gone now too.

As we talked I turned the TV on and we all watched and listened together. The compassion my boys had was so remarkable to me. This is them watching it all on the news.

 

I believe in Heaven. I believe in Hell. I also believe that everyone has the right to meet their maker and ask for forgiveness. I'm torn with this issue. I pray that this lost, broken soul will be forgiven and be given some peace, yet at the same time I see him only as the devil.

This tragedy hits a little too close to home for me. My niece, who is six, in the first grade and lives in CT, attends school just 10 minutes away from where this massacre happened. Not only that but I have 2 children who are in elementary school, one of which is a kindergartner. I can't even fathom dropping off my children for school and never seeing them alive again. The horror.

So….we had another mass killing at a school. Innocent children….angels…. gone. It is time to make our schools secure. There should be NO one in the building during the school day except for staff, students and police. Dedicate a secure room/vestibule near the entrance for conferences or meetings with parents. Set a perimeter of cameras and locked doors, so these kids can be safe….the teachers can be safe….and the building can function as a school and not a murder scene.

I've been talking to Matt a lot lately about our kids growing up. The thought of this terrifies me. It excites him. He loves to think about the people they will become. I want them to stay who they are now. The fact is, the world will continue to go on. The kids WILL grow up. This is inevitable. This bothers me. Or at least it did, until yesterday. As I was sitting there feeling sorry for myself and the fact that my babies are growing up, other parents thousands of miles away were  preparing for a life without their kids. Kids they will NEVER see grow up because their little lives were stolen from them. And from their families.

I think the thing that bothers me the most is that all the victims remain in the school, where they fell, alone, until the police department decides they can be moved. I heard that would be at least Sunday before that happened. How do you, as a parent, go to bed knowing your innocent child is laying in a cold, dark, mean place that they once found joy and happiness in. A place that was supposed to be safe.

As I watched, listened and cried, this little angel fell fast asleep in my arms.

Count your blessings everyday. Even if they seem so small. Never take one day for granted and never assume there will always be tomorrow.

Lord, I pray for peace and mercy for these families. I pray that these little children will now soar the skies as angels, watching over their moms, dads and siblings. When we look to the Christ child let us be reminded of our desperate need to embrace the hope of Christmas. Come, Lord Jesus, Come...