This past Friday the 13th was a scary one. I wish I could say something dumb went wrong in my life, something I could blame on the bad luck associated with this date, but what scared me was very real. When the news came out about the tragic events in Paris, I felt confused, angry and afraid. I know there have been horrific disasters around the world that seem not to have received the same amount of press that this one is receiving, and that makes me feel so sad. But for me, Paris was the situation closest to home. I spent time in France as a teenager and have some lifelong friends in Paris and the surrounding area. My heart hurt when I thought they may have witnessed the tragedies there or worse, been some of those lost. I found myself thinking about the situation constantly and praying throughout the night for their safety. Fortunately, a few days later I learned they were OK, but my concern for their family, friends and country has not ceased.
News and commentaries continue to come out, and the more I hear, the more my concerns seem to grow. Whether I hear about it on the radio, in conversations with family, or see it online, I can't seem to get away from the news. I don't like to feel so consumed by this and I find myself wondering: Can my son Marshall sense my worry? Does he have any idea what is going on? And if he were old enough to understand any of this, how would I possibly explain it to him? What do we say to our kids when we cannot wrap our own heads around the pain that comes from living in this very broken world?
As much as I wish I knew exactly the right words to say, I don't have all the answers. I do, however, know this:
1. God is always with us.
He is there when things are going well and He is with us when things are horribly, horribly wrong. God knows our struggles and feels our pain. He will be there for us whenever we need Him, even if we don't realize He's there. "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
2. I am not meant to live in fear.
While fearful thoughts may come into my mind, I don't have to allow them to stay. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
3. I don't have to go through this alone.
God has given me a wonderful group of friends to help me process through the confusion, and I know that I can go to them whenever I need help. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25)
4. There is power in prayer.
When we are afraid, worried, or in need, God hears us when we pray. I know that I can talk to God and tell him what I'm thinking, no matter what it is, and that comforts me. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)
5. God has already won.
I hesitated in writing this last point because I don't want to throw this phrase around casually. This is not something I'm saying because I think it will simply make people feel better; I know with absolute assurance that this is true. There will be difficult, sometimes awful things, that happen in our lives, but I know that God has a plan and that it ends with him on top. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
