The Flame Within

At times the  darkness suffocates me.
The news… Ravaged with stories.
Shootings… Theft… Scandals.. 

Anger… Fear… Murder rampant in today’s society.

Today… A man.
A sick… Angry… A Crazy man,
Walked into a school.
A child’s home away from home, 
And began to shoot.

Twenty sets of parents left to face this world.
Without their children, their daily reason to live.
The faces…
The smiles…
The giggles…
All taken in a state of fury… Within one single man’s soul.

What happened to people wanting to be hero’s.

Once… I recall hearing stories of heroism.
Now it seams… 
This… The only story bragged upon on the nightly news.
When will it stop?
When will people desire stories of gaiety.
Rather, than stories regarding death… Murder… And violence.

All things good and positive.
Seem to have lost it’s attraction to the world.
What does it all mean?

As a society… a nation.
We’ve collectively pushed “hope” out the front door.
We’ve declared our independence.
Our ability to cope…
To handle this world’s evilness on our own.

I admit, “I’m not handling things well on my own.”
Tragedies… Statistics… Evil hearts…
Proves… Either are you.
“Our nation is failing.”

Violence… Murder… Mental Disorders…
Rain in at an all time high.

As I write, I stand in the gym.
Children play Carol of the Bells.
Hundreds of parents present to applaud.
I admit… I don’t feel safe.
How about you?

When you drop your babies off at school…
Do you worry?
What if?
Will they be safe?
Will they make it back into the safety of momma’s arms?

I stop to ponder…
“When will enough be enough?”
When we repent of our sin?
When will we admit our need for a “savior”?
Will it be too late?

My selfishness…
Your selfishness…
Has turned a blind eye to the hurting.
A deaf ear to the needy.
Few share “hope” with the hopeless.

What can I do?
What can you do?

We CAN proclaim God’s word.
His love… His healing…
To the needy… the hurting… the hopeless.

We can pray to God…
For a heart like His.

We can seek to love His people.
We can put away our cowardice selves…
We can share the gospel without fear.
With the hope of eternity.

Maybe… 
Just maybe…
We can limit one tragedy.
One less broken heart.

We can lead the lost…
To the ultimate healer.

Maybe…
Just maybe…

We can be Christ’s love to the hurting.