Thoughts on Tragedy

Oh, Jesus....come quickly! 

It's been a bit more than 48 hours since a 20 year old man walked into an elementary school and killed 26 people.  48 hours that 20 mamas have been missing their babies.  48 hours since daddies found out they would never finish raising their children.  20 children.  6 adults.  27 families destroyed in just a few minutes of utter chaos. 

I can't imagine.  I can't imagine being a mama who sent her child to school, never to hug them again.  I can't imagine being a teacher, hiding my students in closets and corners.  I can't imagine being a first responder, busting through windows and seeing the images that would forever be burned in their minds.  I can't imagine being the father and brother of the man who did this.  I just can't imagine. 

How does a family, a school, a community, a nation recover from this?  How do we honor the children and women who died, while dealing with the emotional toll this will take on everyone?  How do we heal and support a community that was safe, but is now violated? 

I don't have any answers. 

I don't even pretend to understand. 

But I do know that God has not forsaken his people.  He is not absent in this tragedy.  When we turn to him, we will find a way to recover.  We will find a way to honor the lives that were taken too early for our understanding.  We will heal and support.  We will find a way to balance a talk about gun laws and mental illness. 

There are other thoughts that I'm struggling with.  Thoughts of my own reaction as a teacher and a mother.