No words ...

I'm not sure what to say about the fact that there were two terrible shootings this week.  One of them at a mall that I'd been Christmas shopping at two days before the shooting.  Sometimes in life there just aren't words that are right or adequate or could ever do justice to the amount of pain and grief that exist in this world.  Like most parents my gut reaction is to protect my kids.  I told Scott last night that I'd like to homeschool our kids and never let them go to shopping malls or movies or public gatherings.  Not realistic but true in that moment.  But I spent the last two days at work taking care of three amazing kids from three very beautiful families all of whom are dealing with devastating health issues.  These kids weren't victims of tragedy.  They just happened to get sick or be born with diseases that most of us have never even heard of.  I guess my point is that no matter what lengths we go to in protecting our children, it's not in our power to keep them totally safe.  We'd love to think it is.  We'd love to think that by buying the best car seats and picking the right schools we can have control.  To some degree that's true -- I'm certainly not saying that we have no influence over our children because we have a tremendous impact on who they become and it's a huge part of our role to keep them as safe as we can.  But it's a hard truth to swallow: we could outlive our children.  I've sat with enough parents who are watching their children die to realize that we shouldn't assume otherwise.  So today I will kiss my children more times than I can count and I will choose to believe that the One who made them is always present with them, no matter what comes.  I will hope and pray that my life and my parenting are marked by love and faith, not by fear.  My heart aches for the families who won't get to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones this year because of these senseless acts of violence.  I'll end with this picture ... My prayer ...