As I sat in church this morning and listened to the teaching, there were a few things that stuck to my heart. As our Pastor addressed the terrible situation of Newtown, Connecticut he said something that was profound. Profound in the fact that it was something that hadn’t crossed my mind.
Our Pastor talked about what WE could be doing during a time that is too hard to put in to words. What WE, as parents of children who attend school and daycare, could be doing to help.
I think when tragedy strikes on any level, WE, as children of God look for ways to show love.
The thing that he said today? He said to be prayerful.
I know that seems simple. Pray. We all know that we should be praying. But have you ever wondered what specific things to be praying for? I hadn’t.
Most of my prayers consisted of praying for the people affected. Give them strength to make it through and fill their hearts with peace. Give them faith to rely on the Lord. Surround them with love.
And although he said to pray for the people affected by the Connecticut shootings, he also said something that hadn’t occurred to me.
Be praying for the leaders who are in charge of the safety of our children. Pray for wisdom.
To me that meant to be praying for my children’s school leaders. The principals. The superintendant. The teachers. The daycare workers. The babysitters. The people who I entrust my children to day in and day out.
Pray that they have the wisdom to put safety policies and procedures in place so that, God willing, if this situation ever struck my child’s school they would be prepared.
Maybe I am the only one, but I hadn’t been praying about this. Not even after the horrific shootings in Newtown. I prayed for my children and for Jesus to keep the safe. But I never specifically have prayed for the leaders and staff who are in charge of keeping them safe.
The ones who lead our children on a daily basis need our prayers. So the next time you go to pray maybe this is something you could pray for too?
*Special thanks to one of the people I entrust my children to frequently, Hannah – our babysitter. She brought the sweetest gifts over for the boys last week.
I love your heart Mandy. Thank you so much for sharing this! I know that as a babysitter, I appreciate any and ALL prayers from the families I come to know. It’s a wonderful feeling to know you’re being thought of and lifted up.
Happy holidays, sweet friend!
Love this!! Thank you for sharing! I have been continually praying for peace in Newtown. Not just for the families of the victims, but for the children that have to live with those horrific memories. I will also pray for those that lead our children! xoxo
Mandy, we definitely need to be mindful of this! Oftentimes we simply just pray in general terms but it’s so very important to be specific so that God can truly meet those needs. This is something that I am still working on myself. I didn’t even think to pray for our our leaders, teachers, etc….they need His protection and direction just as much and now more than ever! Thanks a bunch for sharing this!!!
I agree! We must pray for the ones that care for our little ones! What happened in Newtown was sad and I am still in shock over it..
I wanted to share this poem with you and your readers. I also posted it on my pathetic blog. I don’t post much but I did post this poem. I lost my child to brain cancer. I truly believe with all of my heart that my son and those precious babies are in Heaven with Jesus.
Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.
Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy; they didn’t know what to say. They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
“Where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse. “This is heaven” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house”.
When what to their wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same. Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
Those children all flew into the arms of their King and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, one small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.
And as if He could read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.
“Then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe,
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand, “Let My power and presence re-enter this land!
“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools” “I’m taking back my nation.
I’m taking back my schools!”
“Then He and the children stood up without a sound. “Come now my children let me show you around.”
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran. All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight, “in the midst of this darkness,” I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”
Author unknown.
copied from the Sandy Hook facebook page.
Cathy
I love this idea and will add it to my prayer list. Thank you so much for sharing.
Great post:) I teach elementary school. Last week was a tough week. I felt an added “stress” of being hyper aware of my surroundings. ‘who’s in the hallway, the parking lot, where are my keys, how fast can I lock my door…it’s going to be a new normal for sure. I hear people say “it couldn’t happen here.” but in all reality it “couldn’t have happened” in Newtown either. We need to trust in the Lord. Pray for the leaders of our schools and nation and live each day to the fullest.
Great post! Thank you for sharing!
I haven’t been praying for these things, but I definitely will start! I think it’s so important to be specific when you pray, thank you for giving us some wonderful examples 🙂
I love the thought of praying for the people in charge of our childrens safety!
I love that last picture. Sloane really thinks we’re all crazy!! Love you guys!