The Gift of Awareness

My prayers go out to those affected by the shooting at the mall yesterday.  To the families who lost their loved ones, those injured and all who will be traumatized by this event for years to come.  I pray for peace for them during this season and beyond. I pray for heaing for the family of the man who did this and then killed himself.  He must have been one really disturbed person to do this in the middle of the Christmas shopping season.

I woke up planning to do a couple of things and then maybe go to the mall to spend the Barnes & Noble gift card Mom sent.   The thought surfaced and then disappeared a couple of times during the day.  I figured I could go in the afternoon and get back before traffic got crazy--about three in the afternoon.  The gunman opened fire about 3:30 or so.

I was going to do a couple of short housework projects and leave.  Strangely and suddenly I felt like blogging about my Nana.  This wasn't a run of the mill blog--I had to find photos and scan them.  I had to do some Photoshopping on the photos as well.  All this took time and I forgot about the mall.  The story was longer than I had in mind but once I started typing there was no stopping!

The post brought back alot of memories and some tears.  It was getting late when the phone rang--it was Annie.  She asked if I knew if Alison was home.  I said maybe, I don't know.  Then she told me about the shooting at the mall.  She couldn't get through to Alison on the phone and was worried.  I hung up and called Alison praying all the way.  When Alison answered and told me that she was home--praise God she was okay.

It is amazing how the LORD brings into prospective what is important to you.  We live in a culture were it is all about "me" never thinking about others and what they are going through.  We put importance in "things" and not each other.  Sadly, events like this shake us and show us what our life is really about--family, relationships, reaching out, helping others--community.

Many of those in the mall left their material possessions to help others get out safely.  Those with children were helped by total strangers.  It didn't matter who you were, people reached out to help.

So, I guess yesterday's gift was a gift of awareness.  Awareness that we are surrounded by people who need our help.  People that we usually don't see because we are so wrapped up in us that we don't see their hurts and needs.  Its time to slow down and be an encouragement.