I have been heartbroken over the school shootings in the last week in the US. The one in the Amish community has particulary haunted me. My dear husband and I were discussing it last night and the discussion turned to this being another reason to home educate--we don't have to worry about them losing their life in a school room. But then we discussed, how do we protect them? How do we keep them secure? The danger of this world is everywhere--not just in public or private school rooms.
A reporter said yesterday that the Amish thought they were safe because they withdrew from mainstream society. I don't think that is entirely true. I do believe that were insulated from the constant violence that our kids can see in the media. Another reporter said about how frightening for those little girls, that they could not even pretend it was a movie because they hadn't seen one. There is no way they could comprehend what was happening. But their safety could not come from being set apart from mainstream culture.
Their security comes from the reason they set themselves apart in the first place. Their security comes in the faith and belief in God. They chose the lifestyle they led not to protect their kids from harm but to serve God in the best way that they understood Him to lead them, as did the generations before them. And that is where their security lies. And it is where what comfort they will find in the coming weeks lies. God is God and He is in control, no matter how out of control the world around us feels. And clinging to that is the only thing that can keep us sane in an insane world.
And that is the only way we can protect them. We trust God to have the bigger picture. We serve Him and follow His lead. We teach our kids that security is in Him alone. And we pray. We pray like we've never prayed before that He will provide their earthly security and ultimately that they will accept Him as Savior so He can provide their eternal security.
My heart goes out to all of the families touched by school violence last week. I'm praying for them that they find God's peace and God's security in and through the tragedy.
2 comments:
Amen. I really have nothing else profound to say, just wanted you to know I feel the same way.
I think you said it all. What a sad state of affairs the world seems to be coming to...it actually downright scares me at times, especially when I think about bring more kids into the world..but when you place your trust in God you having everything you need.
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