Heavy Heart

I wasn't going to post about this, but I just can't help it. A little over a week ago a Deputy with the Harris County Sheriff's Office was gunned down at a gas station about 4 miles from my home. How did our community react? Was there rioting? Nope. There were prayer vigils, and marches/walks, and a memorial set up at the site of the murder.

There were blue ribbons wrapping trees all over the area, signs printed for donations in all of our yards, and even more fundraisers all over the area. The response has been incredible, and I couldn't be more proud of how we have moved through these days of great tragedy.

I watched as this really graceful woman and her children lived out the most nightmarish of events in public, and how the law enforcement community rallied around her in the most beautiful funeral I've seen in a long time. The message was amazing. Dr. Ed Young spoke, and had these words to give:

"Things are changing,” Young said. “There will be a new Houston, a new Texas, a new America. “And you can write it down. We have your back,” he told officers as the funeral crowd stood and applauded.

This was the grief that was visible on their faces, and I literally wanted to go hug her in that moment. I can't imagine what it must be like for any first responder's family or military family to send your family member: Dad, Mom, Husband, Wife, Sister, Brother... etc. off to work and not know if they will come back at the end of the day. The only thing like that in my lifetime has been my cousin going off to war in Iraq or some of John's cousins serving on the police force.

As I've watched my children over the last few days and weeks; we've talked a lot about that Deputy and what his family is going through. We've talked at length about what it means for his children. Through it all, I've noticed them playing like they are policemen more often. Which makes me wonder where we've gone wrong in America. 

What happened between being innocent children and becoming teens/adults that makes anyone think that the police are after them or targeting them? When did race relations in this country go back to the days of the 60's and earlier -- where we need campaigns like the Black Lives Matter movement? There are a few bad apples in all professions/races/religions... insert any group here. Of course Black Lives Matter -- ALL LIVES MATTER. All souls on this earth have parents, friends, and loved ones that care about them. 

All people matter. It doesn't matter what their offenses are to you. Whether you are for or against whatever their cause is -- you still don't have the right to take anyone life from anyone else. When you get to that point, you've committed a Hate Crime. Not to mention that I don't think you can use the Bible as your weapon of choice - we call ourselves Christians if we are using the Bible against each other. 

Jesus calls us to love one another  in spite of our sins, and we've all sinned. Just because we sin differently from others doesn't mean that we need to spew hate at them. We have to love them. We just have to. This country needs a WHOLE lot more love and a LOT less opinion being spewed all over the news and social media. 

We need to move beyond this, and take the message of love to others. Love and Acceptance. In these days leading up to the September 11th Attack -- we need to deeply remember how that all felt. We need to come together and STOP all of this junk. Come together and pray. Come together and put our differences aside. Come together and accept our neighbors for who they are -- then be blessed by how you are different. Above all....