Please note: In this blog, I talk about what happened in Uvalde. While I dont go into any detail of the tragedy, if the tragedy is a trigger for you, I understand if you do not read any further. I do ask that you pray for the families in Uvalde and that you would also contact your representative to advocate to make our schools safer. We can not stop evil from happening but we can prepare and ensure safety. If you don’t know who your representatives are, there is a link below where you can find out. You just type your address and it will tell you everyone who represents your area from state board of education to U.S. Senate.

https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

Thank you–Rachaele Renae.

As I thought about typing this blog and preparing my newsletter for the month of June, it didn’t it well with me to talk about West Main Arts Fest and updating on upcoming events for Eph210ArtStudios. I haven’t said much in regards to the tragedy that happened on May 24th in Uvalde. What that was was pure evil and my heart breaks for those families who have lost their child or loved one. I am overcome with sorrow, and anger. This tragedy did not have to happen and yet it did. Now, people look for who to blame. The gunman, the police, lack of gun laws, or even God.

As a teacher, this hits way too close to home. In schools, we do monthly drills so we know what to do in case of an emergency. Our drills include fire, tornado, and active shooter. The fact that we have to think about what we would do in the event someone came to school with the intent to kill has always bothered me. Even as a student, I always wished this hadn’t become a reality. As a student, I knew the drill and always prayed it was a drill whenever they sent us into the corner of the room and turned the lights off. My heart would race until they called all clear and we could return to normal classroom operations. As a teacher, any time I walk into a classroom, I quickly analyze it with the idea of where would my students go, where would I go, it there was an active threat. Unfortunately this is our reality, especially as a teacher and you pray that it never happens. Not just to you but that it never happens.

But it does. And it needs to end.

In my mind all last week since the death of the 19 students and 2 teachers, I keep asking God why. Why was this allowed to happen? Why was the gunman able to get into the school? Why did he do what he did? Why was evil allowed to take the lives of 21 people, most of which being kids.

I’ve learned through my grief over the years that we may never know why. In the Bible, Satan approaches God regardjng Job and says that Job will turn away from God if everything is taken away from him. God allows for satan to take everything from job, eventually including his health as well. Job had everything was taken away from him: his family, his wealth, and even his health. Job had been someone who worshipped and followed God and yet, Job had lost everything. At one point, Job asked Go, “Why? Why was this allowed to happen to me?” The response that Job got was not one that gave him an answer to his question but rather one that allowed Job to see God for who He is.

“Who is this that obscures my plans
    with words without knowledge?
³ Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
    Tell me, if you understand.
⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line across it?
⁶ On what were its footings set,
    or who laid its cornerstone—
⁷ while the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels^[a] shouted for joy?

Job 38:1-7

God’s response To makes Job realize just how mighty God is. His answer to the question of “why?” lasts from Chapters 38-41 of Job. I’ve provided a link below if you want to read the Lord’s full response. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038-41&version=NIV

I bring Job up, not to look at the Lord’s words as bring harsh but to bring up the lesson that I have personally learned from them.We may never know why. In the end, the Lord still never answers Job’s question. Job is left to understand that God is mightier that everything that He has plans for everyone and everything. Even when tragedy strikes, God is in control and is right there holding on to us as we go through it. I’ve blamed God so many times for things that have happened, for people that I have lost but in the end what I realize is that while it may have happened, God never turned his back. He was holding me the whole time, even if I wasn’t clinging on to him.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Hebrews 4:13

Bottom line: I don’t know why God allowed 19 children and 2 adults to die on May 24th 2022. I don’t know why the gunman able to get into the school or why the police waited as long as they did or why these families have to suffer. I don’t have the answers to any of these questions but I do serve a God who is mightier than anything on this Earth. I serve a God who is loving , kind and comforts those who are hurting .

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3

The Lord I serve is also an God who will also one day destroy the Evil one. Evil will be vanquished and wrong that has ever been committed will be avenged by the Lord.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[e]

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:17-21

The Lord will deal with the evil that happened in Uvalde.

So what do we do now?

We mourn with those that are mourning.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn

Romans 12:15

We cling to God and lean on His understanding and not our own.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Proverbs 3:5

We pray to the Lord for wisdom, guidance on what can change and we take action towards that change.

The change we need is for our schools to be safer. While we can’t eliminate the evil in the world, we can take action to be proactive rather than reactive. We need to be in the business of preventing events like Uvalde from happening. We need to trust teachers to do their jobs and make it where they don’t have to walk into a classroom and analyze it for emergencies anymore. There needs to be better procedures and better protection in schools.

I plan on, in the next few weeks, contacting every representative from my school district to the Congress and even the White House to petition for them to find ways to make schools safer. I plan on doing more research so I can present it to each representative. There are devices that could be purchased in order to fully secure doors from being opened. Maybe even our procedures for an active shooter need to be updated. I don’t know what the answers are but I do know this is what I am feeling led to do. Some may think it is a waste of time to do something like this but it is all I can do and the least I can do in the wake of Uvalde. Those 19 children and 2 teachers deserve that much. They deserve a whole lot more but I am doing what I believe God is leading me to do.

I challenge you to do the same. Please find who your representatives are for the local school districts, state and national representation and challenge them to pull for legislation that will make our schools safer. If you don’t know who your representatives are, there is a link below where you can find out. You just type your address and it will tell you everyone who represents your area from state board of education to U.S. Senate.

https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

If you have any questions about what might make schools safer, please feel free to contact me or ask a teacher you may know.

Until Next time,

God Bless.