Virginia Tech

Tonight I am thinking about all the tragedy that the youth in our school systems have faced recently, in particular, Virginia Tech..and it scares me...literally scares me. I think about my daughters. And at first I think, I really don't know how to protect them! How do you protect your kids from violent hatred that explodes so unexpectedly? I feel waves of fear and sadness...even moments of defeat.

And then I remember this amazing little gift that God has given me and I begin to realize that although I can't protect them...I can equip them. Ephesians 6:13-16 gives us specific directions when we are faced with opposition...we are to put on the full amour of God...the helmet of salvation...the belt of truth...the shield of faith...the sword of the spirit...the breastplate of righteousness...the shoes of peace. God's armor is the best way that I can equip my children and myself as we try to come to terms with what is happening around us.

And so...I remind myself and my kids that we are saved. We spend time talking about how Christ has already won the battle and though others may try to hurt us, scare us, or even kill us, we have the helmet of salvation upon our heads. We already know who wins in the end. I know I am saved, they know they are saved, and nothing can take that knowledge away from us.
Helmet...check.

We walk in truth. We talk in truth. We pray in truth. I remind myself that although there is a lot of hate in this world, there is also a lot of love. Yes, I recoil at the images on the tv but I also rejoice when I see communities come together to honor those lost, to serve one another in love and in truth as they tell the stories about each person lost. The truth is that at the end of the day, we love no matter what. Death doesn't steal the truth. It tries to make us hate everything and fear everything, but in the end, we only love more. We love those lost. We love those who are suffering. We love those that helped. The violence makes us want to believe the lie that life sucks and isn't worth it, but the truth tells us otherwise.
Belt...check.

Faith may not save us from a violent act but it will see us through it. Faith is believing what you can't see. Faith is trusting that even when everything around you appears to be falling apart, somehow, it will all be put back together someday. God is good. People do horrific things, but I have faith that God is good and will heal each and every family that has lost someone. And so when the doubt presses on my heart and I feel compelled to panic, I instead reach deep into my heart and cling to my faith instead.
Shield...check

And when my faith is in place, but somehow, my words are still failing me or my face is still pale with fear, I rely on my spirit to battle for me. I open my bible. I pray. I draw my sword. I read God's word and let it comfort me. I read about the senseless tragedies that took place in the Old Testament and how God came in and restored broken families and shattered communities. I read about all the pain and sickness in the New Testament and how Christ came, healing them according to their faith. I talk to my kids about the God we serve... a healing, redeeming, and righteous God.
Sword...check.

I teach my kids what is right and what is wrong. I do my best everyday to live in a way that is good...healthy...lawful...right on...righteous. As much as I hate to be reminded in such a painful way, tragedies like VT, remind me of what happens when people create their own rules and righteousness is tossed to the side.
Breastplate...check.

And finally, I slow down and remember how precious peace is. In my home, it is a precious, precious gift. We want it at the dinner table. We seek it during arguments. We ask for it when we are crying. We need it when we face a tremendous loss. And we always notice though when it is missing. And so, I put on my shoes of peace. They may slip off from time to time, but I always know where to find them, and I never forget who made them. God keeps them for me, sitting on his front door, just waiting for me to come and slip them back on.
Shoes...check.

I may feel horrified and scared right now of the images being blasted on the tv, but I am filled with faith that God will overcome and will heal the areas that the devil intended to hurt us with. God will comfort us and we will in turn, comfort others. God will sustain us and show us light even when we think we can't see. God may not always physically rescue us from harms way every time but he does prepare our hearts, equipping us with the love of a God whose faith can endure and overcome senseless tragedies like what we have seen in Virginia and even right here in Keller.

The violence and hatred is real and we have seen it manifest itself this week, but I am not going to hand myself over to fear. I am going to equip my daughters and the amazing youth that God puts along my path, with a heart of faith...not fear.

This is fitting...

...Fear Hides from the unknown. Faith investigates.
...Fear Focuses on the problem. Faith focuses on the answer.
...Fear drains you. Faith sustains you.
...Fear retreats. Faith advances.
...Fear is fueled by past tragedies. Faith is fueled by past victories.
...Fear retracts. Faith attacks.
...Fear results from trusting in our own abilities only. Faith results from trusting in God abilities.
...Fear looks at the size of the problem. Faith looks at the problem in comparison to God.
...Fear can defeat your Faith. Faith WILL defeat your fear.
...Fear and faith are contagious, causing the heart of others to faint or fly.

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt truth buckled around your waist...take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." Ephesians 6: 13-16