Our Souls Thirst For You

November 30th there was a school shooting at Oxford High School, a mere 20 miles from where I live. 4 lives were lost and 7 others, including a teacher, were left injured. This is a horrible event and terrifying for it to happen so close. It is one of those things that you always hear about but don’t think will ever actually happen to you or near you until it does. Many schools in my county, including my own, closed  for one or more days due to numerous copycat threats throughout the county. A school in my district, only 5 miles from my own, went into lockdown due to a false threat a couple days later. It is a terrifying thought that someone so young can be capable of putting immense amounts of fear in thousands of people. However, this is just another example of how desperately our world needs the love of Jesus Christ. 

We live in such a broken world, but we have the hope that Jesus has overcome the world. I would never have imagined that a school shooting would occur so close to home, but I know that God is going to use this tragic event for good. If anything, this is a desperate call for us Christians to spread the Gospel and the hope of Jesus Christ.

It is clear that this world needs to change, and in order to do that, we need God. We need God to change our hearts and minds. We need God to change lives. We do not have to live in fear of man because we have the Almighty God with us. 

This shooting has only solidified my desire to go and live on mission for nine months across the world. Not out of fear of my country, but out of hope and expectation that this experience will completely change my life. I will see God move in ways that I could never imagine. I will see people in all conditions, and I know that my heart will be broken time after time, but I know that it will all be for the glory of God.

I am hopeful that my life will change when I come home from the Race, and I believe that I will be able to bring everything that I will learn and use it for God’s glory in my own community. I am hopeful that God will use the Race and me to begin changing the world bit by bit so that we will soon not have to live in fear of going to school or work. 

This world needs changing, and it starts when we let God into our lives and let Him change ourselves first. 

My heart is broken for all of the people and families affected by this school shooting. It is a tragedy that is going to live with us for a long time, but in the meantime we can do our very best to try to prevent this from happening again. We can do this by sharing the love of Jesus Christ. 

I am in no way trying to say that this shooting was really not that bad because we have Jesus Christ because that is not necessarily the case. Of course we can find hope and comfort in Him in times such as this, but this is still a very real tragedy that puts very real fear in us. It is in times like this that people cry out desperately for a Savior. 

As David says in Psalm 63:1 “My soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You.” This is true for everyone on this earth, and it becomes clear in times such as these just how much our souls thirst for God.

Heavenly Father, You are so good and present. We can have faith that You will be working through this and that You will use it for good. Lord, I pray for all the families who have been affected. I pray that they will know You and that they will be comforted by You and thirst for You. This is a tragedy that no one ever believes they will experience, but, Lord, we know that You are here, and You are working. Lord, please be with everyone who has been affected by this shooting, and help us to emulate Your love so that we can share it and be vessels for Your love and comfort. In Your Heavenly name, amen.

With love and blessings,

Ali