"Nothing can replace the empty space left by a lost child"

When I first heard about the senseless tragedy coming out of Connecticut where 20 children were shot dead and 7 others, including the shooter's mother who was found dead at home I was beside myself  thinking of all of the families who now must grieve for these lost children.  

Empty beds, endless crying, sleepless nights, an ache that simply will not go away, feelings of loneliness as people around them grapple for words they cannot find to offer solace they may never give are just some of the flood of words that come to my mind.

Gone are the lost dreams of these children: birthday parties, sleepover's at the grandparents, field trips, growth charts, first permit to drive, first dates, prom, college admissions, graduations, weddings, grand children are additional words that flood my mind as I reflect on this senseless tragedy.

Each time I read about or hear about one of these senseless tragedies my mind draws me back to the early morning hours of June 10th, 2007 when the emergency medical technician informed us in the presence of our children's pastor and police chaplain that they did all they could, but Maria could not be revived. It was at that point that like many of these Connecticut parents we collapsed under the weight of our grief wanting to know answers why if we supposedly have a 'good' God would He allow for this to happen?

Only after many months of traveling the road of anger and depression did I finally see that it wasn't God that permitted these things to happen.  No, the hard reality is we live in a fallen world where man chooses to follow an appetite of insatiable greed and idolatry rather than care for the most vulnerable among us. 

There are no winner's in this senseless tragedy.  The shooter had problems of his own with being a  younger son of a broken marriage and the lost child who hadn't spoken to his older brother in two years. There is no justification for anyone to walk into a school and senselessly murder children between the ages of 5 and 10, but had this family made a conscious decision to work on their marriage and build their lives into their children I have a feeling that the tragedy in Connecticut may never had occurred. 

Finally, I was reminded today of the professionalism and dedication of the these teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary school. Many of these teachers put their own lives in harms way to keep their students safe.  They pursued a profession knowing that with their intellect they could have chosen a career that paid 2 or 3 times what they would make as teacher's, but yet they chose to pursue a profession that would help prepare today's young people for tomorrow's jobs.

If you do anything in the coming days please hug your child and tell them how much you love them and then turn to your spouse and in their presence hug your spouse and tell them how much you love them. Our children need to feel secure and as they become independent they need to know that their parents are at the very circle of their existence much like the planets revolving around the sun.  

There are lessons to be learned today. It isn't how big your bank account is, or whether you can afford that summer home up north. No, the lesson we learn today is the importance of providing a secure family for our children where they feel loved every day they walk through the front door of their  home.