I Am Hurting Today

I am hurting today. 

Sadness and anger best describe it.

The events of yesterday, a tragic death in Utah and three life-threatening injuries in Colorado as a result of gun violence, feel impossible to digest. 

My eldest son texted me from school this morning saying that today was the first day he truly felt scared and unsafe. 

In prayer this morning, the following words came to me: “Infuse in me a light of hope in this world.”

An hour later, I’m still working on that one. 

I was unhealthily glued to social media this morning, and I feel sick over the nastiness. My take: people, including me, are in pain on a daily, under-the-surface basis and when that pain gets acutely triggered, all hell breaks loose. Unhinged. Unthoughtful. Uncompassionate. ANGRY. 

There is nothing wrong with anger, mind you. Anger is a very normal emotion. Anyone with a heartbeat experiences anger. 

Untended-to anger is dangerous. 

I am deeply sad and angry about the innocent lives affected by senseless violence yesterday. I am working on tending to my anger. Through prayer and action. Both/and. 

I am also waiting for God’s infusion of the light of hope. 

I’ll let you know when I feel it.