Today's tragedy is a sobering moment that urges reflection. I was going to blog about feminism and Mormonism today. But something has just happened that takes priority of the mind. In CT at an elementary school 27 people have been shot and killed, 18 of them being children. Most of them appear to be kindergarteners. Little facts are known right now as the story is still unfolding. What is known is that the shooter was a 24-year-old male from Hoboken N.J. who had 2 guns. His mother is a Kindergarten teacher at the school.
My heart aches, and I have shed tears for the families in CT. I am resisting the urge to run to pick up miss E from our elementary school early. Miss K is home finishing up with the flu. DJ doesn't have preschool on Fridays, so he is here with me too.
The best advice I heard today was from a doctor or psychiatrist (can't remember) on one of the major networks who said to explain to your children that this is a rarity. It is like how rare it is to be struck by lightning when playing in the rain. We know it can happen, but we still let our kids go outside and play in the rain because it is so rare. I think that will help a child have perspective on this tragedy.
However, she ended her segment saying, "Assure your kids they are safe." But with the Columbine shooting, the shooting at Va Tech, and others, how can we assure our kids that they are safe? I don't think we can say that. We can say that the schools and teachers work very hard to keep kids safe and that they put safety as a top priority. We can say that we as parents pray for the safety of our children at school every day. That is something I posted on facebook this morning. I realize that in the world today, I now need to pray every morning for my kids' safety before I leave them at school. Frightening to think that that is reality.
So where is the peace in our world today? Where can we turn for peace following tragedy? I just gave a wonderful Relief Society lesson on this a few Sundays ago. It was full of fabulous quotes from one of our past prophets, George Albert Smith. You can read/reference it here. You have to look to God to find peace in a tumultuous world, for He is a source of security. He maps out a plan for peace in His teachings of the gospel.
When miss E gets home from school, or before the kids go to bed tonight, I will remind my children that God gives us a guide to peaceful living. It is found in the gospel, in the Plan of Salvation, and in the scriptures.
Evil exists and evil people exist. There is evil in the world because free agency is allowed. It is a part of the Plan of Salvation. We cannot change other people, but we can change ourselves. Through the atonement we utilize the repentance process and can be made whole. Sorrow, sin, pride, heart break, you name it ... can all be repaired or forgiven through the atonement of Christ.
I pray for peace in the world. I pray that righteousness will prevail and that as we are so close to celebrating the birth of our Savior, more hearts will turn to Him who provides peace and love for those who are willing to partake of it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Great post Jen:) I don't have kids as you know. I think though in this tumultuous world we live in the place to turn for peace and comfort is and starts in the home. It is the safe haven from the crap in the world. Our homes are where we can choose how much of the world we let in. You are right, there is so much uncertainty in the world that you and I didn't even face 20 years ago. I think its up to parents, extended family, teachers (in that order) to teach children, more now than ever to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost and to recognize it. This is for adults too. We can't control the the thoughts and actions of others. But those promptings, which most of the time are soft nudges, are not so noticeable off the bat. Like I said we can't control others' thoughts and actions, but as a society we need to take the current events and learn from them by keeping our eyes and ears open to those around us to help troubled individuals and keep our communities safe. I think that that is how these lives that have been lost won't be in vain.
This was the most extreme trouble individual I have ever seen. How someone can kill their own mother and then go to the school she worked at and kill innocent people there is beyond me. Obviously there was trouble in his home life. People don't just act out like that. I am not justifying what he did AT ALL. It was a completely evil act. I think people need to learn how to express and deal with anger in healthy ways. And I think our WORLD needs more forgiveness expressed and shared. That all starts in the home. What heroes the teachers were in this horrific event. I feel terrible for the surviving kids and their families along with the families left behind. NO ONE should ever have to experience that trauma. If an experience turns more people's hearts to God our Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, a greater purpose has been accomplished.
Post a Comment