SANDY HOOK - Jesus Calms the Storm

SANDY HOOK - WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO?

This past week with the national tragedy at Sandy Hook as well as the many personal tragedies which many of you suffer are difficult to deal with. I know that to each of you the shootings were terrible, but I also know that many of you are dealing with heart aches and heart breaks of which few others will know.

We are often torn by feelings of guilt as we see something as terrible as the killing of innocent children and adults. We do mourn for their loss, but feel guilty for mourning for our personal losses. Many in our world have had terrible losses in their lives this past week also, do we forget them or act like they are unimportant because another tragedy seems worse that our own? Of course not, we can't do that, it isn't in our human nature to refuse to grieve just because someone else is grieving.

Sadly our cultures and our media have tried to make one terrible thing seem worse than another, when in reality terrible things that happen are terrible to all who are in involved. I heard a statement a while back that went like this. Someone said about something bad that had happened because of their actions, "It was nothing personal."  The response was, "It was nothing personal to you, it didn't hurt you, but it was plenty personal to me! I was the one who was hurt."

You may be grieving right now and few, if any even know about it. Don't hide your grief just because you think someone may think you are insensitive to what has been termed "a greater tragedy". Don't feel guilty if your personal difficulty or tragedy affects you more than the stories coming of Sandy Hook.

We can have the greatest sympathy for the families of those who lost loved ones, but often our personal pain tops that and because of that we feel guilty. Don't! Don't feel guilty, mourn as you need and give comfort as you are able, that's all God expects of you.

What do you do when there is nothing you can do? You share your pain and your hurt with others to let them help bear that burden. Paul urges Christians in Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." And in Galatians 6:2, "Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

So, I urge you to pray for those who have suffered this great loss and turn your own cares over to God. Peter urges us in 1 Peter 5:6-7, "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."