Take Heart and Bend a Knee.

"....In this world you WILL have trouble. BUT TAKE HEART ! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

This is one of my favorite verses (and most easily remembered) from when I worked as a camp counselor at Camp Kearney, for the summers of 2009 and 2010. It has grown to be a comfort verse for me, whenever I question the cruelty of the world we live in. 

We live in a fallen world. Yes, God sent his only son to die for our sins, but that wasn't the end of sin. Jesus died for ALL sins-past, present and future. Because we live in a world that is plagued with this disease called sin, there will be pain, there will be disappointments, devastations, and death. We are constantly reminded of this, by our own sinful nature, as well as the sinful nature of others. Just turn on the news. J.D. and I don't have t.v. right now, but we keep up to date with headlines by way of Facebook or some other online source. 

Today, while I was checking my Facebook and reading fun posts about how incredible "The Hobbit" was (for those who were lucky enough to go to the midnight premiere) I began seeing startling posts pour in, about news of an elementary school shooting in Connecticut. How awful that we live in such a "free and safe" country and yet we are just as prone to such horrific acts of sin such as school shootings. 

I remember all of the fire and earthquake drills my classmates and I experienced while in my schooling years. One day in high school, an alarm went off which ended up being the real deal-we were having an earthquake! I don't remember how big it was on the Richter Scale, but I do remember feeling that one. It shook us all up a bit, from what I recall. Sometime in my 8th grade year (or maybe freshman year of H.S.) there was another big quake, which I remember quite clearly. I was at one of my friend's homes with a bunch of other girls, making christmas caroling books. We were having a fun time, unsuspecting of what was to come. Not until my friend's Christmas tree started to shake vigorously (after determining that it wasn't her cats haha), did we notice that something wasn't quite right. We ended up finding out from my friend's parents that this was in fact an earthquake, and then they proceeded to guide us to a safe place to wait it out. My brother John was babysitting our two younger brothers, Seth and Luke that day, and was wise enough to rush my brothers outside during the quake. Most startling of all, was that we found out that our mom had been in the grocery store at the time of the quake, and just happened to be looking for some wine for a recipe (Who would want to be in the wine aisle during a quake??) She said that bottles started to fall all around her and break, but she was thankfully not harmed. While in Texas, my family and I witnessed many thunderstorms, an ice storm or two, and even a few tornadoes. These were all frightening times, though I did enjoy the exciting weather aspect ;)  All of these events were only natural disasters, which everyone will experience in some form at some point in their lives-it's one of those inevitable things which we can't control. 

Sin is also inevitable. When we hear about such awful events, like school shootings, we can be certain that sin was involved. These shooters didn't just randomly wake up and decide that they would spend their day destroying lives. This took plotting and planning, with their main motivating factor being sin. Satan may have been whispering in their ear, but it was still men who chose to carry out these sinful acts. We often hear of these shooters ending their lives after they've committed their monstrosity. I wonder if this is because they know that they wouldn't be able to live with their sin, guilt, and shame...especially after ending the short-lived lives of children. I believe I've been given a heart for children, and so whenever I hear stories of children being aborted, abused, or killed I am full of grief. Children are such precious gifts! And After talking to my mom today, I know she feels the same (she works at an elementary school with children around the same age as the ones affected by the shooting). 

All this said, we can still find comfort in knowing that our God is sovereign as well as omniscient (God is all-knowing) and omnipresent (God is everywhere) . He desires for us to fall at our knees and seek his love, protection, and guidance. This is what I believe we are called to do in times of distress, tragedy, and hopelessness. We may be heart-broken, shocked, angered, and disgusted by the tragic events which occur in our society (particularly when they are full-blown, such as a school shooting). We wonder how a human being could commit such an act? We wonder if they are heartless or even if they are possessed? We see these people as low, inhuman, and cruel. God loves these people just as much as he loves the righteous (who also inevitably sin). God views sin as being all the same. I am not saying that we should take shootings lightly or that we should disregard the feelings of those directly involved. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says:

"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 

1 Corinthians 12:26 also says:

"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

I believe it's important to follow God's command of showing others' comfort in times of turmoil. Though 1 Corinthians 12:26 is mostly referring to members of the body of Christ, I feel this is a good picture for us to reflect upon when we are dealing with all people. We are called to set an example of Christ's love, and teach his good word, are we not? So, when we see that others are afflicted, we should tell them how we "take heart" and trust in the Lord for comfort when we are downcast. In addition, we can share that our God has conquered the world-he is bigger than all evil. If others see that we have a God we can depend upon and seek peace from in times of trouble, then we are honoring God. 

I am truly saddened for those affected by the school shooting in Connecticut, and my prayers and thoughts go out to them. I do hope they are able to seek comfort from the only one who can truly take away their pain.

Remember, that the best action in these hard times is to take heart and bend a knee.

Blessings,
Anna