#WeRemember Oklahoma City

 

When I was a younger woman, our hometown went through a devastating attack of terrorism. 

 

 

It was awful!

 

The sheer magnitude of emotions ranging from gutting sadness to devastating confusion, to anger—intense anger that someone could willingly inflict their will on others, stealing their lives, their future, and their hope.

 

 

It was also a time of resilience, of watching an entire nation pull together, fall in step with Oklahomans and support us through the aftermath. 

 

 

It has been 27 years of remembering the grief of the families, the heart ache of our neighbors, even the loss of feeling safety in the community.  I never go back into the downtown area without remembering that horrible day in history. 

 

 

Grief and loss are so hard to walk through no matter the manner of death.  I believe such a public, far-reaching traumatic loss must be a new level of grief.

 

To know that you have to live out the horror in front of a watching world would be so hard.  The loss of the families’ privacy, the criminal trials, the news coverage, even the ceremonies, memorials, and day of remembrance all bring it right back. 

 

 

I hope that by remembering as a community that it shows how much we honor the families as much as we honor those that were lost. 

 

 

I pray as we remember that we don’t rub more salt in the wounds of hearts that are broken and families that are forever changed. 

 

 

Lord,

We ask you to comfort the grieving hearts again.  

For the families of the lost, but also of the survivors.

For those that suffered devastating physical injury and those who’s emotional pain will never heal. 

Be with all the first responders who were only doing their job that day but have suffered with what they saw for the last 27 years. 

Be with the families as they remember today.

Continue to help our community use the evil that was inflicted on us for good to change the world.

Give us an eternal perspective to remember that the ending of this life is only the beginning of a life lived in Christ. 

Remind us, that you Lord are the ultimate comfort for them who know you as the author and finisher of our faith.   Amen

 

 

#WeRemember #Grief #OklahomaCityBombing #WhileWeAreWaiting #April19