“He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
And carries them close to his heart;…” Isaiah 40:11
Heartbreaking deal, Shreveport being in the national news this week for tragic reasons.
A father killing his own children, any children …
And the ages of the little ones …
3
5
5
6
6
7
10
11
Small numbers that shout of a significance and loss too big to bear.
Besides practical help, we can offer only prayers and compassion and hope to grieving families and to those riding the ripple effects of the crimes — first responders, teachers, caregivers, the little friends. So many shocked in a community that needs courage and mercy and a heart for each other.
I overheard a warm soul this week remind some friends that love requires action, and that it is possible that each of us can be the answer to someone’s prayer.
We have all heard that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and that he saves those who are crushed in spirit. May he grant that we seek today to know him, because more trouble is coming.
At some point, you have either faced or will face heartbreaking trouble, the kind of trouble healed only by means supernatural. The Suffering Servant, a man of sorrows, asks that we be humble enough to rely on his strength daily, to count on his comfort in a world in which we are not at home.
None of us are built for a world in which little brothers and sisters are murdered, where the difference between the weight of tragedy and the sun rising on another beautiful spring Sunday is such a thin, thin line. This is the kind of world that needs – that requires – not just a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on. Not a motto or a pep talk. Not just “thoughts and prayers.” This is the kind of world that needs a Savior.
Jesus knew sorrow. He knew loss. And he told us, plainly, that in this world there would be sorrow. But …
… be of good cheer; He has overcome the world.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
