We Need God

I can picture him at that age, glasses sliding down his nose, that gap in between his teeth.  A little mischievious, he's always ready to pick on Kami and to drive his cars all around the house and to make as much noise as possible.  He speaks with a slight impediment, just enough to make it cute when you can't hardly understand what he says.

He started preschool and my heart broke as I drove across Shoulderblade Hill toward town.  My baby, in another county, with his daddy across the road, his hand reaching out to pull me back into the classroom.  Two years later, I walked him into school every morning, to kindergarten.  He  made me sit by him as we said the Pledge of Allegiance, and sometimes even held my hand.  I took what I could get, because I knew it wouldn't be too much longer before he'd restrict me to the parking lot.

Time moves fast, and while he is just in 4th grade, he seems so far away from that little boy. Now he stands almost as tall as me.  Yet my heart stops as I read my Twitter feed today...

I think all of America stands still as we turn our eyes and ears to Conneticut, to the small town of Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary and  20 children and 6 adults, plus the shooter, and the horror in our hearts is too much.  Just too much. 

Grades K-4th.  This morning, those mamas and daddies dropped their babies off, and never thought they wouldn't pick them up this afternoon.  And I think of Caleb, how he needed reassurance as I dropped him off. "You promise you'll come back and get me?  Or Daddy? Or Papaw?"  Every day, the same conversation, and everyday I reassured him.  I can not imagine, nor do I want to.

This afternoon, I got home and went straight to Papaw's.  Caleb was on the couch, watching the news.  I pulled him up in my lap and hugged him, hard.  He just let me for a minute... after all, he's getting too big for that now.  I've stayed glued to the news.  My heart goes out to the families, the first responders, the other children, the police officers, the faculty and the staff at the school.  Above all, I'm praying for America.  What we need, more than anything, is  God.  Only He can turn us around. 

We don't understand why.  We question and get angry and point fingers in all different directions. What we do know is that the Prince of this world is evil and walks about like a roaring lion, seeking who he can devour.  However, we have been sent the Prince of Peace, a soon returning King... and He is enough. 

Lord, comfort the broken hearted and bind up our wounds.  We need you now.