I never used to read/watch the news. I would occasionally read a headline someone had been talking about.. Recently, I got a smart phone and put the local news app on it. Now, I can't stop. But the difference from reading the paper in the past is that now, I hold my breath when I read the news.
My life has been pretty sheltered. The people around me were all good people, or at least they didn't do things that were news-worthy. Reading the news now, I constantly check addresses to see what block the murder was in, or what corner that shooting happened at. Is it one where my kids frequent? Do we have a family on that block? Then I start the phone calls.
Last year around this time, I was watching the news and there was a report that two boys were hit by a car on the corner that two of our boys lived on. I went through stacks of old sign-up sheets to find a working number for their mom. Upon finally getting in touch with them, I was relieved to find out that the boys were at home, in bed, and Mom (somehow) had no idea what had happened literally right outside their door.
But it finally happened. A few weeks ago, I read an article in the paper about a terrible tragedy. I checked the address, and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Our kids lived two blocks away in one direction, and a couple of blocks away in another. No one lived in that block! That was, until I got a text message from a friend.
Nothing prepares you for tragedy. Praying for God to be with the entire family, as we navigate our way through ministering to them. Standing on Romans 8:28- And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
