Tonight I was having a pillow fight with my soon to be three-year-old. The sound of her laughter filled our entire home. As I was watching the twinkle in her eye and the joy on her face, I found it hard to breathe. My mind filled with thought after thought about the most recent tragedy in our country.
What if she lost her life to an active shooter, would I remember this moment and that look on her face? Would I remember the sweet sound of her little body booming with giant laughter?
Which moments are those mommas clinging to right now? What do I not want to miss? Oh, those mommas! Their toddlers turned into teens who lives were taken. Does your heart ever stop throbbing?
What happens to pillow fight type moments, ya know the ones as a parent that make you overwhelmed by the beauty of your child when they are cut short by firearms?
I imagine I would want to remember them all. I'd keep my eyes closed until they were closed for good if it meant I could see them more clearly.
And what about the shooter? Did no one hold his tiny fingers? Did anyone treasure him before he terrorized them? How do you go from a child that pillow fights to an adult that takes lives?
Sure, I have thoughts on gun rights and strong feelings about mental health but neither of these makes evil go away. I am not suggesting we throw our hands up in defeat but I want to be realistic about the solution.
You may say my thoughts and prayers are trite but I don't care, I am going to say them anyway.
There is no denying that the scenes are pure evil. Can you have evil without good?
My only hope is that there is One that gives good light in this darkness. He promises that one day He is going to mend broken things and the light will shine in between.
I pray that my children will fall in love with that good light, Jesus, and I won't have to close my eyes to see the joy on their face or hear their laughter.
