Violent Night
My daughter and son-in-law could have been the ones opening the door to a stranger loaded with hate—and a handgun.
The phone rang about 3 P.M. yesterday. I toyed with ignoring it; I was on a holiday roll, sipping coffee from my Christmas mug, addressing cards, and listening to carols, too happily ensconced to deal with a telemarketer. But I set down my red pen anyway and grabbed the phone before the call transferred to voicemail.
“Hi, it’s Mom. Did you hear about the YWAM shooting? Two staff members—a guy and a girl—were killed!” my mother breathlessly relayed.
In that instant, my heart did a flip-flop. Fear clenched my chest.
“A YWAM shooting? When? Where?”
“It’s all over the news,” my mother replied. “Turn on the TV. It happened in Denver.”
Thank God! That means Sarah and Mike are safe! I quickly hung up, then pulled out my cell phone and speed-dialed Sarah. When I heard her cheery hello, my heart flip-flopped again—this time with joy.
Overcome with relief, I thanked God my family was unscathed. But as I praised him for the safety of my daughter and son-in-law, both YWAM staffers at a different location, I realized others were grieving the loss of their loved ones.
I’m still processing the shooting at the Arvada, Colorado, base for Youth With a Mission (YWAM), an interdenominational organization that trains missionaries for international “mercy ministry.” This cold-blooded crime hits too close to home emotionally. As I watch ongoing television coverage—carols and cards now abandoned—I choke up with the realization my daughter and son-in-law could have been the ones opening the door to a stranger loaded with hate … and a handgun.
These horrific acts—the murders at YWAM, the shootings in Colorado Springs later that morning, even the shootings at the Omaha, Nebraska, mall earlier last week—remind me there’s no guarantee of safety from violence in this life, no guarantee of protection from disease or death in this sin-stunted world. Despite the ways I distract myself from confronting my mortality, in reality I’m delicate dust, easily blown away. And Satan loves to use God’s creation to pain both the Creator and the created.
I call this the season of joy and peace; I sing “Silent Night, Holy Night.” But the god of this age makes sure to fill the world with anything but peace and silence and holiness. Yet God’s grace is present alongside inscrutable evil, a seedling of hope pushing through the toxic soil of sin, stretching, growing, inexorably reclaiming evil’s blighted ground. There's great mystery in suffering: God is sovereign, and his purposes are good, even when I can't see them, understand them, or manipulate them to conform to the limits of my finite wisdom. I cling to the belief God works through the debris of depravity, the process of his purposes unstoppable.
I pray for the grieving families in Omaha, Arvada, and Colorado Springs today. I pray for my own family’s safety as we go about our lives. And I thank God he is Immanuel, God with us, the victim of violence now ultimate Victor who one day will set this groaning, reeling, suffering creation right.
Blessings,
Posted at 3:13 PM on December 10, 2007.
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Comments
I agree with you, we can never be safe from such violence and mishaps unless God himself keeps us safe. But as followers of Christ we have strength in the fact that though the evil one works to destroy our body he cannot destroy our soul.
Posted by: Tara Rana on December 11, 2007
I understand your concern. One of our sons is doing his DTS (in another country) and we (the parents) have spent a long time on the Kona base just coming "home" a few months ago. It seems that in such situations we can all be tarred with the same brush. The people shot at the base had too few years of being there to know the past history of the guy, but they were just seen as part of the establishment and caught in the line of duty. It makes you wonder whether we are asking for trouble if we make our affiliation too well known. Maybe it is better just to serve the Lord as part of an organization that is a lot less high profile.
Posted by: Bruce on December 11, 2007
Serving God is serving God. Satan is seeking who he can devour...it's not going to end until He returns. Anyone who serves for the Lord will be at unrest if she tries to do it safely/differently than he appoints. Just pray...and keep on praying.
Posted by: Linda mae on December 14, 2007
My daughter is also on a DTS in another country,we are alls till inshock from all the ruthless killings.One of her team mates went to the church where the killings took place. I have to remind myself all the time that we serve a soivern GOD who knows all.Also a loving God who comforts much better than we ever could and that is a great encourgement to me.
Posted by: Melissa on December 14, 2007
JEREMIAH 29:11
For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and hope.
God has the hairs on our heads numbers. He knows when we are to see Him again or live with Him on earth. This constantly gives me peace as a military wife. Knowing that if and when my husband goes home (not to me) my Christ, my comforter, and my Saviour will support me and my friends. He also promises to protect us and with that he'll protect myself, my friends and my husband from any of Satan's doing. It may include going "home" but I'll see my husband and friends again.
God Bless.
I'll be in prayer for your YWAM missionaries.
Posted by: Tammy on December 14, 2007
My prayers are with all those who has suffered at the hands of a gunman. Sadly to say, a friend of mine did exactly the same thing here in Houston a few weeks ago. He set the office on fire in which he conducted business which happens to be in the same office building as myself and family; then he went to the mall and shot a young woman then turned the gun on himself. He never showed any type of suffering in his life, he was always upbeat and happy and very friendly. I am still in shock. There are no answers for why this took place, but I asked God to forgive him for what he done, for taking another life as well as his own. I pray for all those who are so stressed, that life becomes so unbearable that they chose to end their lives.
Posted by: Natasha on December 14, 2007
My daughter recently returned home from serving with YWAM. She had the experience of a lifetime! Her faith was challenged and she has matured and grown, learned the value of serving others and discovered the depth of Jesus' love for her.
She had the life-changing experience of sharing the gospel with people in a country where the gospel is not welcome.
YWAM and other similar ministries seek to make God known to all nations.
Any time Jesus is at work, Satan will try to thwart that work. He wants to create fear and paralyze God's people and make us ineffective. We need to remember that we wrestle not with flesh and blood (or hate and a handgun) but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
My prayers are with the families of the slain YWAMers and all who serve to push back the darkness by proclaiming the Light.
Posted by: Elizabeth M Thompson on December 14, 2007
I pray for this world and the people in it because the enemy is so busy. The only protection we have is the Lord. I feel so sad for the ones that have been made aware of the presence of the Lord and ignore it. I just cant understand how any one can not love my Lord. I am so thankful that your children are alright but I care for the ones that lost love ones in all the violence everywhere.
Posted by: Patricia on December 14, 2007
IT IS HARD TO NOT THINK ABOUT WHAT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE, NOW. MY SYMPATHY GOES TO THOSE FAMILIES. MY NEPHEW AND HIS FIANCEE WERE MURDERED IN JENNER, CALIF. IN 2004. THEY WERE WORKING AT A CHRISTAIN CAMP IN CALIF. THEY WERE TO BE MARRIED IN A MONTH.
THEY WERE CHRISTAINS, AND SOME DAY I WILL SEE THEM AGAIN. BUT, I DO MISS THEM.
Posted by: DEE on December 14, 2007
Bruce, dec 11, 2007
maybe it's better to be a lot less high profile?
What if Jesus had said that? What if He had been less high profile? What if He had decided the risk of proclaiming God's glory was too much for Him to handle?
We'd all be in a world of hurt.
It stinks that this happened but it DID NOT catch God by surprise! He knew it was going to happen and through it He would be glorified, He works all things together for good.
Those guys that were killed, died while serving God, what else could they ask for? I pray for their grieving families, but I envy their being HOME!
Posted by: Julia on December 14, 2007
Trusting God for the safety of our children is one of the most difficult challenges in life.
We want to know that they are safe from harm.
But the reality is, God allows difficult circumstances to impact the lives of those who call him Savior and those who do not.
Recent events like Virginia Tech, Colorado, and the mall shooting make it very clear that we are not in control.
Those who call Jesus "my Redeemer" have the only true hope in such painful times.
Vickie
Posted by: Vickie on December 14, 2007
Please also be praying for the military wives that are daily faced with the posibility of "the visit". Many are very depressed at this time.
Posted by: Vi on December 17, 2007
There were a girl from Australia there and she was with two of the young people as they died. Her family is coming to the US to be with her. This effects us around the world
Posted by: Lesley on December 17, 2007
God is with us everyday and we must know that if we are christians. satan tries to get our eyes off of God and Jesus when we hear about someone else going on a shooting spree, we must keep our eyes on God and what he says and pray for our children and overthem and all our loved ones daily.
I will pray for the families that have family memebers that have been gundown but I hope they know that if they had a relationship with God they are not lost.
We must all continue to pray that this entire world and the people of the world will come to know Jesus as their personal savior. Thank God for the angels that have charge over us, our famlies and friends.
God is still on the throne no matter what the enemy tries to do.
Posted by: Tyra Madden on December 20, 2007