For the broken hearted…
My little family is joining our prayers in praying for peace and healing for those affected by the Sandy Hook school shooting. The devastation is unimaginable. I just can’t even begin to process the horror and sorrow and tragedy of it all and I couldn’t post a regular Snapshot Saturday, pretending all is perfect in the world, with the knowledge of this heart wrenching event weighing on us all. I hope we don’t forget too quickly that there are many mourning and weeping and grieving during a particularly poignant time of year…may their hearts be mended quickly. If you are one of the many personally affected, my prayers are for you.
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I too ache for those heart-broken families.
Mel,
Thank you for so beautifully stating what is in so many of our hearts. The scripture you chose is exactly what we all need to remember at this time. I join you in prayer for all those affected, both near and far.
An incomprehesible act with no one to take responsibility. The product of an acrimonious divorce, physical and mental illness and access to too many guns. The sadness is layered with the fact that so many ‘normalized’ family experiences created this disaster. Just wish we could know it would not happen again. My prayer that Heaven will comfort those families.
When something like this happens we think of the unfortunate loss of life, the grieving family and friends, how to put the horror behind us and go on. Then we move on to make the children feel secure and safe when they return to school and how to get rid of the obvious visible reminders of what happened.
Last night I was watching the news and realized that there will be one extremely visible reminder that no one can fix. There were seven survivors in the first grade. Their teacher had put them in a closet and that saved their lives. Until these children move on to middle school, that class will always be noticeably smaller than the classes ahead of them and behind them.
My feelings exactly. I grieve with the families and praying.
I join you in prayer as well. We are also still in shock from the random, senseless shooting at Clackamas Town Center here in Portland, which is our shopping mall. It has been a difficult week trying to explain this to our kids.
Your brothers and sisters to the north, in Canada, join you in prayer for the parents, siblings and other survivors who mourn after this terrible tragedy. We are shocked and saddened, as you are, and cannot imagine their anguish at this time of year. As a mom, my heart breaks for them.
Christmas cheer feels wrong right now. I’m hoping and waiting to hear as many intense discussions about mental health care as there are about gun control. I’m hoping my children don’t hear about this and can live a little longer in the world ignorant of such evil.
My sincerest, most heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the Newtown victims. Those sweet, innocent children and teachers deserved fuller lives.
Your words are beautiful, Mel. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy.
We all have heavy hearts. As a teacher of 41 years, I know that a classroom tragedy is every teacher’s worst nightmare. We want our little ones (I teach seniors, and they are still “little ones”) to be safe and loved. We must pray for those who are no longer with us, their friends, their families, and for all of us as a nation; we are truly a different country and world after such an action of evil.
My heart is so heavy this weekend. We began the week with news that a classmate of my 14 yo had taken his own life last weekend, and we ended the week with the news from Connecticut. It’s just too much pain and sorrow to comprehend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families, friends and classmates who are grieving. May they find comfort and healing in God’s mercy and love.
So so sooooo sad! I cannot imagine that this has happened! All of us here are in shock. Thank you for paying a tribute for the families here. Praying for Gods healing.
Well said, Mel. Praying in Nevada.
Well said, Mel. So heartbreaking.
My heart is also so sad for these families! May God bless and comfort them!
Joining you in prayer.
Amen!
Live in neighboring Rhode Island and there was an interview on our local news last night: the family had moved from here to Newtown, in part, for a better quality of life. This woman talked about her reactions to yesterday’s events from a mom’s perspective and about how she and her husband will try to help their children deal with this horrific tragedy. Today, we are all united in our grief.
“Fear not, little flock; for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:32
My husband texted me yesterday and told me to hug our kids for him….tears flowed at our coop as we prayed for the parents….this is so hard to even comprehend. May the parents find comfort in our Heavenly Father at this time.
I live about an hour away and have two college friends in Newtown, one in Sandy Hook. Thankfully, their children are older, but my heart goes out to everyone in the community. May God bless them all.
Another praying friend in Southern California . . . words can’t describe this sorrow. I also taught elementary school and can’t imagine this horror coming to what should be a protected childhood sanctuary. Thanks, Mel, for voicing our sentiments.
All the way on the other side of the US, in Southern CA- we, too, are praying hard for this community and for our nation. I taught Kdgn for 8 yrs, couldn’t imagine. Praying, praying, praying with you.
My 4th grade son came home from school yesterday and said, “Mama, I feel so sad for those kids who had to die and they didn’t even get to have Christmas”. I sobbed when he said that. My only comfort is knowing that God does all things for our good and his divine glory and there are a few dozen more angels in heaven today. On my knees…
There was prayer in school on December 14th, 2012.
Mel, I appreciate your thoughtfulness and as some of the others have said, we do tend to turn back to trivial thoughts so soon when we should be praying for those who are hurting. My heart aches for all those affected.
Your words are so appropriate. On a day like today, other thoughts become trivial.
My Heart is heavy…can’t imagine the grief those parents and others are going through . Keep asking myself why anyone would do such an evil and senseless crime – they label it “insanity”. How can one person have so much hatred .
May God Bless Us All.
I live about 45 minutes from there and it’s just so shocking that this could happen so close to home. Thank you for your prayers. I’m praying for all those affected as well as they go through this Christmas season without a loved one.
Thank you, Mel, and I echo your sentiments. This happened in our neck of the woods, New England, and the shock of what happened is just so deep and sad and hurtful. I was awake all night saying prayers and thinking of those children and the adults, as well, who didn’t stand a chance against such a force of evil.