God With Us....When We Hurt

I weep.  I ache.  I'm drawn to the news reports, and at the same time am physically nauseated by them.  Just like you, I long to believe the myth that I can protect my children from every danger.  I make sure they wear seatbelts and bike helmets, take vitamins, look both ways before crossing the street, refrain from walking home alone...and on and on it goes.  I'm a mother.  That's what I do. 

But Friday's tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School has punched us all in the gut.  We are forced to come to grips with the fact that we live in a fallen world, one that allows for another's free will to impart good -- OR evil.  As such, my personal control over my children's safety is severely limited. It's a harsh reality that shakes me to my core.

I assumed I was holding it all together, but as Dr. James Dobson and I addressed this tragedy over the Family Talk airwaves on Monday, I was overwhelmed.  We recalled the Scriptures in Psalm 112:  "Praise the Lord.  Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands."  Check.  I do fear the Lord, and I find great joy in His words.  But my voice broke as I looked ahead to what was coming in verses 6-7:  "Surely he will never be shaken....He will have no fear of bad news."  Thud.  Admittedly, I am shaken.  I do wince when I see a news bulletin emanating from my School District now.  Forgive me, Lord.  I desperately want to stand firm, but I'm incredibly frail and human. 

So, once again I'm driven to my knees.  Back to the One who truly holds my sons' and my daughter's eternity:  Jesus Christ -- not me.  The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Emmanuel....God with us.  And I realize anew that it is precisely because of this threat of terror pressing all around us that He did come to earth.  It's precisely why I cling to Emmanuel during this hallowed Christmas season.  Oh, God, thank you for coming to save wretched, evil humanity - lost souls like me.  We so urgently need You here with us at this time.