In the last 24 hours I've received some devestating news...twice. Sunday afternoon, a friend of mine called to tell me that a guy I went to school with and have known for about 14 years was stabbed and died at 11 o'clock that morning. He was stabbed in his own front yard, one mile from where my mom lives and 2 miles from where I attend church. That night, while reading the article regarding the incidence posted on our local hometown news website, I learned the actual time it happened. It happened at 11:02 am. When I read that I instantly thought about what I was doing at 11:02 am earlier that day. I was in a room with about 50 kids and 6-7 other adults jumping up and down and singing praise and worship songs at the children's church service at our church. And I wondered..."God how could somebody that grew up in the same community as me, just 2 miles from me this morning, be experiencing something so different from me?" I was two miles from him geographically...but worlds away. Had I ever had the chance to share the love of Christ with him? Did I do it? Was I an example of Christ's love to him? I didn't like the answers. I'll just put it that way.
Today I learned that a classmate of mine and a friend of Jacoby's from high school shot himself in the chest this morning and died. And the same questions ran through my mind. There are so many hurting people in this world and when I look at it like that...the objective seems overwhelming...so I will look at it like this...there are so many hurting people in the community I live in. Will I move on to tomorrow and let this fade to the back of my mind. That certainly won't happen for the families of these two young men. And it certainly won't happen if I do what God is placing on my heart.
Please be in prayer for these families and for the entire community of Sulhpur Springs.
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