Fireworks and Bombs

Last night, while Will was at work, my dad invited us to go on the top of his 10 story court house (he is a sheriff and works as a bailiff) to watch fireworks that were going to be shot off from a very close parking lot. I wasn't sure if Solomon was going to love them or be terrified, and dispite all of my preping ahead of time, he was terrified at the first boom. I had already gather our stuff, before they started, in the case that he didn't like them, and we quickly walked inside to take the elevator down to our car. He was clinging to me (and honestly, NOTHING scares this child!) and when we had to walk back outside to get inside the car he hugged me tighter and reapeated "all done all done, go home go home."

Once we were safe in our car, and driving away from the loud boom's he was back to his usual fearless self. It got me thinking what a life like that might be like. The loud boom's we were looking at were entertainment, by choice, completely safe. What if it wasn't? What if Solomon's everyday was filled with loud boom's that could actually kill him, or Will, or me. I began to think, mourn and ache for children, families, who fall asleep, everynight, to the fear I saw in Solomon's eyes for less than a minute. How would I feel if "war" became more than just a word that we use to describe a land far far away? Most of us just sit here, taking our safety for granted. Do we ever take the time to imagine what it must be like over there, right now? Do we imagine what we would say to our sweet babies at night, to help them feel safe? Do we imagine what we would say when our husbands went to work, the grocery store, out to get the mail, in case we never saw them again? This is how we should be thinking..."whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done to me"...I assure you, these are far from "the least" of these, and we find it paining us to even think of them...much less love them as we love ourselves. Would be bomb our own children? Would we make our neighbor's child tremble in fear? Aren't we doing that now? Jesus told us, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." What a bad example we have become. God must look down in utter grief...I am ashamed.

Father, lead us to a place where we think, love and act like Your Son...lest we remove His name completely from our title as followers of Him.