Random thoughts and New Life Church

I am heartsick.

Not a church that we belonged to, but a church a few miles away from our house in Colorado Springs. The kids attended an amazing homeschool co-op there 1-2 times a week for the past two years. It's a large church, over 10,000 members, we've attended a few functions there, and we knew a lot of people there.

I cried today when telling my kids. I didn't want to tell them; but neither did I want them to hear or see of it somewhere else first.

It is so difficult, impossible, to understand how this can happen. At church. Sisters. At Christmas, as we eagerly anticipate celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Two staff members at a missionary center.

How can any family find comfort in that?

And what about the family of the gunman?

As I try to explain to my kids, I want to offer them any kind of comfort, any kind of reassurance . . . and I cannot. The places that regular, NORMAL people see as safe, schools, churches . . . evil takes as opportunity.

We grieve again with a church which has already undergone so much heartbreak, so much public scrutiny. And they've shown they can truly walk in the Spirit. They'll continue too, I have no doubt.

The security guard, armed, female. Holly and I discussed the irony this morning. Two days ago, it would have been shocking to hear of an armed guard at church. And this woman saved untold lives. Rob and I saw her interviewed on tv tonight. She's amazing. She clearly sees God's plan for her part in this.

Trevor said tonight that he was very glad it was the same gunman at Youth With a Mission and New Life. He said he worried that if there were two, the one that got away would come here.

I know it comes back to celebrating our Savior. Christmas. Resurrection. As adults, it's hard enough to try to make sense of this . . .

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Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10