No answers...

Today my heart is grieving for the senseless loss of life in Chardon Ohio. My heart aches for the family of the 16 year old (Danny) who was killed in this act of incredible violence. With all the things you do as parents to protect your kids, to make sure they are healthy, educated, and grow up to be men and women who respect life and others, and in a moment they can be taken. You send your kids to school thinking they are safe, and in a second they can be taken from you. It's senseless and tragic and leaves everyone affected by it broken forever. WHY?

I know this is not going to be a popular question, but what about the kid who shot these kids? He is 17 years old, too young to be picking up a gun and shooting kids, too young to be so broken and angry to do this. I find it interesting that he chose to turn himself in, was this a terrible cry for help? What will his life be like, what will his parents life be like from here on out? Did he suffer from a mental illness that pushed him to kill his classmates? Was he bullied so badly that he felt the need to lash out in this horrific fashion?

As the town, state, country grieves for this family who lost their son, will anyone grieve the son who was already so lost that he thought his only option left was to shoot the kids he saw everyday at school? Will there ever be a way to find justice for the people hurt or killed in this targeted shooting? Is there any hope?

I can't begin to imagine getting a call from my kids' school to tell me that he's been shot, nothing can prepare a parent for this and the path they are now on is one they never would have imagined, so what do you say to them? What can possibly be done to help them? What can be done to help the parents of the killer? How do you ever walk around in life after your son has done something like this? What do you say to the kids who will forever be changed by the things they saw yesterday? What do you say to the kid that did this?

I have asked this before, but what kind of world is this?

I saw something yesterday (forgive me but I can't remember where) and it said 'Hope. It's a good thing.) I believe in hope, I believe in the power that hope can bring into a life, a soul, a wounded heart. I believe that change is possible in all people, not just a select few and I believe that God is the only hope this world has. So, what happened to this kid that he lost his hope? Where was God? I know that's the question many are asking, it's a question that the community of Chardon are probably asking, and at some point if not now it's a question that the victims and their families will be asking. What answers do we give?

In all of the trials, the sufferings in life, the loss of hope I have myself felt at times, there is one thing I know. We don't receive answers all of the time. God is God, He is sovereign, He has a plan and it's usually not anything we understand. I also know this, we live in a fallen, broken world, one that He grieves, one that breaks His heart,  and no matter what happens in our life, in the lives of those around us, we were given grace at the cross. So that the broken, the wounded, the forever scarred, would have HOPE.

So, today as I watch the news with a heavy heart I can't give answers but I can pray that everyone involved in this heinous season of tragedy will find a way to have hope, will feel peace, and that they will find healing.