A Choice...

In the midst of this tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary…I, like most or ALL parents are trying to wrap my mind around why, how, why why why!? I came to the realization that it could have easily been Riley's preschool or Ava's preschool or Reese and Caleigh's elementary.  And that realization is terrifying.

I have read several articles and seen several news casts about the gunman and the heroes of the shooting.  I have read about gun control and mental illness and school safety.  This shooting seems to be another reason for us Americans to split ourselves and disagree over what is right and wrong.  I even had my own theory about disciplining children in and out of school (just ask Ryan, that's all I have talked about!)

But I just watched Good Morning America and the little hobbit host, George Stephanopoulos, was interviewing a Rabi, a Pastor and a Bishop (sounds like the beginning of a bad joke).  He was asking all three about how they have been helping the families, who lost children, grieve and cope.  Then George of the shire asked the Rabi "How could a Just God let this happen?"  and the Rabi had the BEST answer "God DID NOT do this…the gunman did."


For those of you who are asking yourself the same question "How could God let this happen"  I will again quote the Rabi…God didn't let this happen, the gunman did this…Adam Lanza had a choice, we all have a choice.  We all exist with sin, we are all capable of being evil…but it's whether we choose to take the righteous road or not.  But please don't put yourself on a pedestal, we all have LOTS of room for improvement, which is where God comes in and also another question I see many of us are having…"where was God during this shooting?"  If God didn't cause this, why didn't He stop it?  Well,   I am no pastor, priest or rabi…I only went to church twice this year and I only pray when someone else leads…but I truly beleive God was VERY much there at Sandy Hook.  God was there with all the teachers who sacrificed their lives for the children and God was with the principal, who threw herself on the gunman in attempts to stop him and God was there with the emergency responders who swiftly got to the scene and prevented an even bigger tragedy.  God is with us when we are forced to make a decision, the high road or the low road.  When you don't have time to think…God does it for you…if He is truly in your heart…He will lead you to the right path.


This Christmas, I want us all to do 3 things:

1. pray for God to be with the families who have lost their children
2. pray for God to be with the families who didn't lose their children
3. and pray for God to be with our children


We have shut the door on God in our schools, in our homes and in our media…but He is still there, patiently waiting on the other side of the door.  We all have a choice…lock the door or open it.