Just Talk & Thoughts

So, it's been a crazy day. Not bad for me in the way it was for others. It's been a sad day though for me, a day of confusion & wonder. Seems the news hits closer and closer the longer we are here on this earth.

I mean, you always hear about things that are just horrible, but it doesn't phase you...it doesn't hit you hard until it is close to home. When it affects "your world" and people that you know, then WOW it hurts...right in the gut you know?

In our town today, there was a man that opened fire in our hospital and killed 3 people. 3 innocent people. He was upset over the loss of his mother who died - 4 years ago!! - and decided to hold his grudge against the nurse who cared for his mother - 4 years ago!! He came into the hospital and did such an unthinkable thing. The place where people run for safety...for help. He shook our city today and ruined the lives of many - forever. Because of anger and hatred.

You see, what makes this all the more devastating for me is that this man was a retired school teacher from my high school. I am sorry to say it, but when I first heard this on the news today, I automatically assumed that it was some young or middle aged hoodlum that had gotten upset over something and acted on impulse. No! It was a 63 year old man! A man with hatred in his heart...so much so that he had this all planned out...over the loss of his mother - 4 years ago!

I don't know every detail of this and I never will. We don't know what this man went through. As a nurse friend of mine said today, people deal with grief in so many different ways. That is not to ever condone this, but you do feel sorry for someone - anyone that is this disturbed. Everyone says that this is so out of character for this man. This just goes to show what can happen to any of us when we allow Satan to have the slightest control in our lives.

It is okay to feel hurt by things that happen in our lives. The Good Lord gave us feelings. But, we have to get control over that hurt before it can turn into bitterness or anger. It is okay to be angry too. The Bible says, "Be angry and sin not." We just have to choose the right way to handle those emotions.

Obviously this guy, this "normal" former school teacher...gave the devil an inch. And, as we've always heard. He took a mile.

So, whether you live here or not, when you read this, I ask you to lift up the families affected by this horrible tragedy today. The employees at the hospital, the friends of the 3 that were shot. But, also please pray for the man that did this awful thing. As sickening as this is, even he is not too far that the love of our Heavenly Father can't reach Him. And although he may not realize it yet, he is gonna need that love.