Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Virginia Tech...

I had an overwhelming urge yesterday to post a blog about this, and refrained, but today, after reading article after article online, and receiving an email from a dear friend, I feel compelled to do this.

One of the German instructors, a young man named Jamie Bishop was a Georgia native, and a childhood friend of a friend. As always, this is one of those things where you pray that no one you know would be involved. I have no details about his family, but I know they need your prayers, as do the families of those who were murdered, as well as the entire VT community.

The discussions that ensued yesterday regarding this massacre just broke my heart. I cannot imagine what that entire campus is going through. Having been an R.A. myself, and having several friends involved in residential life at my alma mater, I realize that this tragedy could have happened anywhere. There is no level of security that can truly prevent something like this from happening.

A good friend served as a resident director for one of the women's dorms at Lee. We joked, even this weekend, about how over-the-top her boss could be with meetings. They literally had meeting about everything, and had them all the time. My friend and I joked (as respectfully as possible) that we know that the Director of Res. Life will go into "Meeting Mode" and have her staff come up with several plans of action in case something like this were to ever happen.

You can't plan for something like this. You can have plan A, B, C, ... Z in place, but you really can't plan for this, Ever.

I think it's imperative for us, as humans, but also as believers to get on our faces, and pray for God's protection.

I'm a preacher's kid, a pentacostal, and a woman who believes in the Word and in Prayer. In high school, I had a christian t-shirt that said "DON'T FIGHT NAKED". The back said "Put on the whole armor of God", and went through Ephesians. Every morning, my mother and I pray on the phone, and armor our family up.

Too Many People fight NAKED spiritually. You can never leave the house without being covered in the blood of Jesus. For me, yesterday reiterates the importance of getting up and putting that covering, that hedge of Protection that God gave us, albeit invisible, but Divinely powerful, over ourselves and our families.

I don't close in prayer as often as I should, but I want to do this today. I want to pray for you. I'm including some names of those people I read (their) blogs (Sunburned, Mother's Serenity, BensMom, MulierSapien, Charis, BooMama, etc.) and others whose names are too many to mention. There's no day like today, and we are not promised tomorrow.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you and praise you for this day. You see the tragedy that occurred yesterday, and our frail capacity to understand the horror that took place. You see the families of each person who perished, as well as a campus of students, staff, and faculty who are experiencing so many overwhelming emotions. You see the rest of us, who are trying to grasp what happened, process why, and figure out what we can do. And ultimately Lord, we know that there is No One like You. Right now, Heavenly Father, I lift up my friends, and cover them with your precious blood, from the top of their heads to the souls of their feet. Father, I cover them in your armor, the Helmet of Salvation, the Breastplate of Righteousness, Gird their Loins with Truth, Shod their Feet with Peace, give them the Sword of the Spirit, and the Shield of Faith. Protect them today. Help us to all understand, as best we can, this horrible tragedy that has occurred. Lord, be with those families today who have experienced this incomprehensible loss, and comfort them. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit as our Paraclete. Let this serve as our reminder that we are not promised tomorrow, and that today is the day to make things right with you. In the midst of all that happened, Lord remind us that it is your Glory that will prevail. We may not understand why this "wake-up" call had to occur, but I thank you in advance for those who will turn to you. Lord, give them zeal and strength, and encourage their hearts. Lord, I just want to thank You and Praise You for all that You are to us. Continue to touch our Hearts. In your precious name I pray... Amen.

3 comments:

Holly said...

Jenn,
you put it all so well into words! Jamie came from a close knit family and was raised in the church with me in Pine Mtn. His dad is a pretty well known author and is a writer-in-residence at LaGrange College. His mom is a counselor at Rosemont Elementary. There is a big article about him in the LaGrange Daily News.

www.lagrangnews.com

I'll email you the log in info.

Warrior Priestess said...

Thank you.

Jenn said...

wow, you haven't posted in a week!!