Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Devastation

Last night, a very sobering news story hit me right between the eyes, and I had to stop folding clothes and just stand in front of the TV bawling. Most news is very negative, and I end up tuning much of it out. But sometimes I find myself identifying with the people involved, and I think about them for a long while. A young couple from Birmingham and their 7-month-old baby girl were vacationing on the coast when they were hit by a drunk driver and the baby was killed. I can hardly imagine what I would feel or do....but it has been my experience that during times of emotional devastation, God comes in, scoops you up and carries you through it. I have felt his presence directly as if he was actually holding me and breathing love and strength into me, and indirectly, through the caring actions of other people. During the interview, the mom was sitting in her hospital bed, clutching her daughter's favorite blanket and flipping through pictures of her. Read more here. OK, now off to find more Kleenex, and off to kiss my own 7-month-old baby girl.

2 comments:

Carrie said...

Oh, man. Since having kids, my level of grief when I hear stories like that has a new, raw edge, because you can't help but imagine it being your child. When I hear about children being abused, same thing, a new level of grief and rage, because you feel it PERSONALLY; you have considered sacred your child's innocence and safety and strive to protect them and keep them from harm, and can't imagine anyone violating that inborn desire to protect children in order to harm them. Sometimes I simply can't hear those news stories about children and have to turn them off, because they cause such an emotional reaction. What a sad story...

Anonymous said...

Thanks Joyce for reminding us how much we have to be thankful for. Wow! Those poor parents and the emotions they must be feeling right now. Thanks for your post.