We are Risen Indeed

Colorado is a wounded heart.

But it is a heart that is still beating.

Half of the state is filled with ashes.

The other half struggling with inhumanity.

The shooting early friday morning goes along side all of the tragedy we have seen over the last few years.

Columbine.

Fires that destroyed countless houses and families.

And now a shooting, in a place where most people run to in order to escape their problems.

At least, I go to the movies in order to escape from reality for two and half hours.

But what happens when bitter reality pierces the illusion, kills twelve and hospitalizes sixty?

What happens when one of your dearest friends was there to witness it all?

What happens when you once talked about seeing the movie together?

I don't know that she remembers but a few months ago when we got together I mentioned how I was sad I had no one to go to the premiere with, and as she is a very good friend, she extended me an invitation.

When the time drew closer I realized that I would have an early morning the next day and I decided to not follow through with that offer.

Part of me wishes I would have.
Part of me is grateful I didn't.
And Part of me wonders what I would have done if I had.

I think God planned for me to be too busy, because if I was there I have a feeling I would've done something stupid.

Like running towards the shooter stupid.

Because he was only firing for 90 seconds.

And if I was crazy enough to run straight at it, maybe he would get distracted, and maybe, he would have spent more of those 90 seconds focused on me, meaning he wouldn't have had the chance to focus on anyone else.

It is not that I do not care about my life do not get me wrong, but I have a very protective nature and I think it would've gone into hyper-drive.

But what God has been telling me the last few days is that He has something different in store for me. Something I cannot even imagine.

And so tonight I attended the prayer vigil in Aurora.

I went to help remind myself of how blessed I was to not have been there, to not have experienced the gore.

I went to support those who had lost loved ones.

I went to support those who came to the rescue.

And I went to embrace my friend who had merely been wanting to watch a movie.

Because I still had the opportunity to. And that seemed like enough reason.

Colorado is a wounded heart.

But it is a heart that is still beating. 

Half of the state is filled with ashes.

The other half struggling with inhumanity.

But tonight thousands of people came together, all in pain, all grieving, in order to rise above the agony and suffering. 

In order to regain hope. 

And as praises were sung and prayers lifted, our spirits rose as well.

In those 90 seconds we became a unified family.  

And in the days, weeks, months, and even years following we will continue to lift each other out of this darkness.

Not only do we rise, but we ascend with the angels.