When unimaginably tragic events happen, like they did in Connecticut today, I am reminded that we are only here for a short time. Things do not matter. Money does not matter. Most things in this world are merely a distraction from what is most important. How you treat people matters. We are all God’s children and He loves each and every single one of us the same and beyond what our human minds are capable of comprehending.
Days like today remind me that I need to make sure I’m focusing on the important things in life. If Jesus were to return tomorrow, would I be ashamed of myself? If He showed up right now would I feel confident that I have been kind to all of His children and as helpful as possible?
Times of pain and grief provide sobering perspective. We find so many ways to distract ourselves and place such importance on “things”. Well, you can’t take “things” to Heaven.
Is it important to work? Yes. Is it important to provide a life for your family? Absolutely. Do I need an expensive pair of shoes? Nope. Is it ok to have them or want them? Sure. But it should not be what we value most, and definitely not what makes our hearts smile.
What makes my heart smile is helping others. What would happen if every single one of us started our day thinking of ways we can make Jesus smile…? Think about it.
A Joyce Meyer recording recently started me thinking this way. I highly recommend listening to “I was always on my mind”. Here’s a link, click here.
We are bound to get distracted, and as time passes the awful feeling of pain will gradually subside… but I hope I retain this perspective forever.
We lost a family member/close friend this summer and I felt this awful feeling of loss and numbness at the time, followed by disbelief and then (eventually) a feeling of peace. I know he is in a much, much better place than us. It still stings and I still wonder why he had to leave so soon…but..I know we will see him again one day.
These sweet angels whose lives were stolen from them today are with our Father in Heaven. They are far away from this evil world and in the arms of our Savior. The pain their parents, families and friends must feel right now is unimaginable. It is every parent’s worst fear for something, anything, to happen to their child. We can do nothing to take that pain away from them, but pray. However, praying is the best thing you can do for them. Every time you think about what happened and get that sick aching feeling in your stomach stop and say a prayer for them.
Let us all remember we are only here a short time and every second of our day is an opportunity to help someone, hug someone, love one another and make Jesus smile.
About Lindsey
EXACTLY! ❤♥
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Amen! Well said
Thanks for this post, and the timely reminder.
Years ago, I lost my daughter. She was just four years old. The grief was unimaginable, but I consoled myself with the thought that although she was very ill, she wasn’t in pain. I knew that her life here on earth was going to be very brief (she had a degenerative neurological disorder). I got through the weeks and months following her death by focusing on the fact that she was in Heaven, and one day, I would join her. The loss of a child, especially a young one, is something no parent should have to go through. I cannot imagine the pain of the parents of these young children – they had no idea that this morning when they sent their child off to school, they would never see them alive again. In my case, I had time to prepare for the end. These parents did not have that opportunity, and that is what breaks my heart this evening.
Oh Susan. I will certainly keep you in my prayers. I have tears in my eyes even attempting to fathom the pain you must have experienced, and continue to feel from the loss of your sweet baby girl. Jesus is surely holding her watching over you.
Beautifully said!
This is beautiful, and so true! We will have our reward someday…
Yes this is very true. In today’s society the more important things have been pushed so far to the back of the wagon that many of us unfortunately forget until tragedy like this occur. I just fell to tears to hear what happened. And I have absolutely no comprehension of how someone of only 20 years could gather and do such a thing. But it did make me think that perhaps this young man was missing something from home. It is important for us to first love our home. What I mean is as Lindsay states, the shoes and material things are least important. The job is helpful, maybe need but should be more important than kissing your child and telling them you love them before dropping them at daycare.
We are so busy with work, school, this and that today that we barely sit down and have evening dinners are home. In my class we were discussing , how many families sit down and really have dinner together anymore. This things my seem minute but they are important to family building.
I can’t no how imagine what those parents and families are going through but for sure I am praying for them all. I too just lost my step father on the 2nd of this month. And for me I felt all of the normal feelings when a loved one is lost but I also got a little upset. Like we are born just to die?! I got scared and sad, and just unhappy about the thought even though I know that originally it was not meant for us to die.
Its just a sad part of life that I wish could somehow be different but it can’t. And even now I still get odd feelings. Like this morning when I woke up thought that I will die came to mind, I mean when I first woke up and it made me nervous. I am not sure why I get nervous but I do and I just am sad about all this.
I hope God gives me peace to this reality that we all pass and acceptance. But it is not something that I rejoice about. But I was raised to believe that if we live right and as God wants we should rejoice to death because we return to our father. But honestly I am not sure I am there yet. One thing for sure though all of those innocent children are without doubt in my mind back in heaven from which they came.
Thanks for posting everyone.
Hi Vonnie, we definitely all feel this way and lack understanding of the why’s in life. I take comfort in knowing that it is not for us to understand and we are to live our lives as happily as possible while giving all the glory to God. Here is a Bible verse that points out people have been wondering the meaning of life for ages: Ecclesiastes 1
New International Version (NIV)
Everything Is Meaningless
1 The words of the Teacher,[a] son of David, king in Jerusalem:
2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
3 What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?
4 Generations come and generations go,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun sets,
and hurries back to where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
7 All streams flow into the sea,
yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again.
8 All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
nor the ear its fill of hearing.
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
“Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations,
and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
by those who follow them.
I’ve been reading the Jesus Calling Devotional and highly recommend it, it has helped me tremendously!
Thank you, Lindsey. What wonderful scriptures you chose. It’s all so hard to take but I’ve read your post twice — well done.