Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Musings on the Arizona Shooting…

I've been reading a lot the past few days about the shootings...and murders in AZ...that included the murder of a 9 year old girl who attended the event with a neighbor to learn more about the political process. She had been elected to the student council at school.  Ironically, Christina Taylor Green, was born on 9/11/01.  When I see Christina's picture, I see a beautiful little girl, sparkly eyes, big smile.

Her picture takes me back to when my kids were that age.  And, since Christina is a girl, I think back on both of my girls at age 9. 

As a mom, this really hits where it hurts.  We go along pretending that we have some control over the wellbeing of our children.  We monitor their friends and activities. We warn them about talking to strangers and being ever vigilant about not ever going anywhere with anyone they don't know.  We watch what they eat and how much they sleep and what medications they take. When they are teenagers we warn them of the dangers of driving distracted, or in the snow, or alcohol abuse. We give them curfews and guidelines.  Always trying to forget that...out of the blue...in a split second we can lose them.  A car crash, an illness, an abduction....a crazed gunman nursing a grudge against an elected official.  Wrong place/wrong time taken to the nth degree.  And just like that...gone.  

Christina's dad was quoted as saying,

We were four people. Now we're three.

And that is every parent's worst nightmare.....

2 comments:

kc bob said...

Christina is the one that I think about the most during this tragedy. I cannot imagine the pain that her folks are in. All I can do is ask God to comfort them.

Cindi said...

Max Lucado uses Isaiah 57:1 in a writing about death that I've shared many times with people who are grieving. Trust me with your death.

“The good men perish; the godly die before their time and no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to realize that God is taking them away from evil days ahead.”

Cindi....