Hello everyone. I want to take today's blog to extend my condolenscences and prayers to the familes of those killed in Southerland Springs, Texas on Sunday, November 5th , 2017 at the hands of evil. I did not write a blog right away because I needed and wanted some time to think about what I wanted to say outside of raw emotion.
I do not have the answers as to why this happened. All I know is evil came to Southerland Springs on Sunday and it used a very confused, hopeless man to do its dirty work - to kill 27 people, to steal their lives and to destroy these families anyway it could. The motive of evil never changes.
I could not help but cheer the pastor the media talked to yesterday; "this will not stop the Gospel, this will not stop these people." Although such evil does not take our resolve, it does break our hearts and I know many are hurting and praying with these people. And the truth is, such evil does not stop the Gospel nor dispell it and it never will. In fact, it is tragedies likes these that help to spread the Gospel as the pastor was talking to people about it on national television yesterday.
I am here to tell you such evil may have killed those precious 27 people but it did not take their souls or their spirits- they stand with Jesus now in a Heaven so beautiful we can't even imagine. Many of you reading this may ask, if God has them now, why did He not intervene then? I only know God gives us free will, to do good or to do evil. He does this because He is love, to do otherwise would be to enslave us.
Mr. Kelley, chose to do evil. Mr. Kelley had been confused and his mind darkened for a very long time before this shooting I would imagine. He was also an abuser, who probably came from abuse. I am sure in the coming days many things will be brought to light, even if we never know his exact motive. I am not saying all of this to give him an excuse but to give you a glimpse into the far reaching emotional and mental problems that led to this November 5th, 2017 shooting. These things are never sudden, they take time to develop as evil grooms those it uses.
I would also like to ask the nation and our politicians to not only pray for the loved ones left behind and this community but to refrain from the often polarizing and dividing issues that soon surface after such tragedies around the topic of gun control. Now is not the time ladies and gentlemen, now is not the time. Please let us respect these families and let them grieve.
In closing, America has a sickness of the heart. Who have we given our heart to? Do we even recognize our country anymore? I don't and that makes me very sad. What is the answer? The answer is Jesus! He is waiting for America to give Him her heart. Only He can heal our division, only He can heal the violence in our land. He does not want to give us a bunch of rules to follow, He wants to show us what true peace and love really are, for our nation and for our world. I do not disrespect our politicians, however, our politicians will not make us great again. Jesus can make us great again (and our politicians too)!
Praying,
Elizabeth