Oklahoma

As a mother, I can not fathom what is must feel like for the people in Oklahoma that have lost children or whose children are still missing after that horrible tornado. Just like I could not fathom what it must have felt like for the parents in Newtown, Connecticut. And, I hope I never have to endure the searing pain of loss that they are feeling right now. My heart just breaks for them as I think of my sweet baby girl. There is a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat when I imagine a mama dropping her baby off for school one morning not knowing that will be the last time she sees him. That, to me, is gut-wrenching...sickening...heart-stopping scary.

Every day is a gift that should be cherished, and I intend to remember that when I'm frustrated that Charlotte is spitting out the peas I made yesterday.  The same peas of which I have 16 meals worth. And I intend to remember that "this too shall pass" when she fights sleep at bed time. Those things are just minor frustrations... frustrations that many mamas and daddies today wish they could have back.

Again, I'm just sick over yet another tragedy. More lives lost. It's almost as if I hold my breath when I look at news reports because I fear what might have happened during the day. Did another bomb explode? Was there a natural disaster? Did a plant explode? Did a crazed gunman enter a school and kill innocent children? These things make me feel raw, exposed, scared. And yes, I have to admit, sometimes it is even hard to trust God in the midst of tragedies such as these. But, that is what I must do. As a Christian and a beliver and a child of God, I have to trust Him. I have to believe that He holds us all in the palm of His hand. That it is He who giveth and taketh away. But it is also He who will comfort us when the pain seems too much to bear.

So today, I hope that the people of Oklahoma are clinging to Him and seeking refuge in His arms as they process what has happened. And may their memories sustain them until they meet again the loved ones that they have lost.

And may everyone put aside the things that frustrate you today and hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight and cherish the present because we do not know what the future holds.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.