Tragedy

It was about 11:30 late Sunday night and I just laid there in bed. I tossed. I turned. Sleep is what I wanted and badly needed, but my efforts were to no avail. I just could not get out of my mind what I had seen and heard on the news a few hours earlier.

I needed sleep because I was sick. Very, very sick. I was doped up on medicine and because I hurt, I was already an emotional basketcase as it was. So to see and hear what I saw on the news earlier was about more than I could handle.

Last Thursday, March 26th, at about 12:30 PM, a lady from Luling, Texas, apparently a single mother, woke up to find her 18-month old son missing. Shortly after, her son was found outside. Dead! Attacked by a pitbull. The story with the details, along with a video containing an interview with the mother, can be found here. I was devastated. Immediately, as is the case for us all I'm sure, I began to think, what if this happened to one of my sweet boys? How would I deal with it? How would I ever live with myself? Would Cody and I blame each other? What was the most disturbing portion of this story on the news however, was when they played the 911 call from the mother. I still can't get it out of mind; the terror, fear, guilt, screaming, prayers, sobbing, panic, all expressed in the 81 second 911 call. I cannot imagine what this poor woman is going to have to deal with over the course of her life. My heart goes out to her.

All of us are aware of other tragic incidences that have occured in life. And much comes to mind, just like in the case of this story: Are pitbulls the problem? Is it a parenting problem? Was she irresponsible? Should she be charged with negligience? Does there really have to be someone found at fault here? These and a lot more questions have a propensity to race through the minds of many at these moments. But you know what? What does it really accomplish? It doesn't change the fact that things like this just happen. They always have, and unfortunately, they always will. Tragedy is a part of life that reminds us how life on this earth was never meant to be our permanent home. And how I long to one day be in a place where things of this nature will no longer occur.

It is probable that a lot of people are "beating her up." None of it, half as bad as what she is doing to herself, I'm sure. Personally, my heart bleeds for her. I have no idea who this woman is but I wish there was something I could do for her to ease the pain she is feeling. I know I have done a lot of irresponsible things as a parent myself that could have turned into tragedy. Something like this could happen to anyone. May things like this teach us to:

• Be responsible and demonstrate good stewardsip with what God has given us. James 1:17 reminds us that every perfect gift is a gift from the Father. And stewardship is obviously the Jesus way, as He reminds us that such is a component of kingdom living (e.g., Luke 16:1ff). This is apparently, according to the newstory, the message the mother wants to get across to the whole world.

• Hold on to those we love and never let go. May we never let a day pass where we don't express and show our love (John 13:35; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7) for the ones who are most important to us, because they can be taken from us at anytime (James 4:13-14).

• Remember that life on earth as we know it was never intended to be our permanant place of abode. If not for hardships and trials in this life, including tragedies, there would be nothing special about that heavenly place we anticipate. That is what makes being with God one day so perfect. There will no longer be tragedy. Let us always keep in perspective that nothing here on earth; no person nor thing, no event nor circumstance, and no tragedy nor hardship, can take away from what we have to look forward to in Heaven.

I think it would be a great idea to take a moment today to pray for the mother and entire family of this child that was attacked and killed.

Peace and love!