Call to think and pray

Yesterday, as I was talking to my co-worker I felt my neck and realized that I was missing my necklace. I don't really care about the necklace but the jade on it was precious to me because my mom gave it to me when I was around 10 years old. I remember missing something that morning as I was changing so I thought maybe during my sleep it came off. I also thought that what if I dropped it on my way to 99 ranch when I picked up some rice that morning for the Christmas gathering. I started to get anxious and decided to go home and check it out even though it was 10:20AM and might be a 45 minutes detour. As I was driving home, I heard on the news on K-Love about a tragic incident. At first, I thought another shooting? Then I heard the details of how it was an elementary school in Newtown near Danbury, CT. When I was young, my Dad would drive me and my sister to Danbury to check out the mall there even though it was quite far but the mall had a carousel in it. Then I heard the number of children killed and I was sad. I couldn't believe it but at that moment I chose not to think too much about it because I was "busy" with trying to find my necklace or worrying about it. I got home and I searched for it in my bed and I couldn't find it and then I looked at the hoodie that I had put on in the morning and shook it around and lo and behold the necklace felt out. I felt such a sense of relief and thankfulness to God. Then as I was driving back to work, I heard the news again and that's when I started thinking more about it. My first initial thought is not to think too much about it because I was afraid of getting sad but then I realized I am just being selfish. Selfish in two ways. One is I wanted to take care of my own worry first (finding my necklace) before worrying or thinking about other people and second is I didn't want to be sad so I am choosing not to think about it. Jesus said to weep with those who weep. I need to weep with those who weep because if I choose not to think about it then I probably won't be praying for them either. It's only when I can sympathizes with their pain will I remember to pray for them. I definitely can't relate because I never had a child and I don't know what it means to lose something so precious. Something that you put so much into and have it all taken away, especially the suddenness of it. If I was a parent, I would think that in a small town schools are pretty safe. I would never imagine sending them to their death. It's not like sending them to war or seeing them battle a disease. Not to reduce the pain of either of those two things but there is some preparation. This is just too quick and unprepared. I woke up this morning thinking about this incident and wanting to call my mom and my sister. Funny how my mom called me this morning about something totally different but I was able to share with her that I'm glad she's alive and then I called my sister to shared the same thing. I know that many people are waking up this morning hoping it was a nightmare. It's just sad to think about that. It's really sad to hope it's a nightmare but wake up and realized it is actually true what happened. If I think about that, I would want to pray more for them. I read a bit of Job this morning along with some parts of Isaiah 40, 41 and Ephesians 1 and 2 Corinthians 1. Even though I don't know the community there, I want to love them like Jesus because I know God is sad. Sad that this evil has happened. I remember hearing the president's speech about this incident and I thought it was very well said. It's especially sad because they are children and God could have used them for so many things and there were a lot of blessings that the parents will no longer be able to enjoy with their kids such as birthday parties and graduations, etc. Jesus loves children. He said "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God" Luke 18:16. I pray that people would turn to God instead of running away and blaming Him. He is the father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our afflictions (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). I lost a necklace and I found it again. Some parents lost their kid and they can't be found again (at least not on this earth). I hope and pray that God would cause the people's heart to be stirred to find that the world is fleeting and that there is only one true hope and that is in Jesus Christ. He is our ultimate joy which can never be taken away. I hope that God would save many and that people's heart would be healed by Jesus and that many would once again see their children in heaven.  I pray that I would be more thankful to God for the people that I love and I would not take them for granted.