Tragedy Struck
While we were away this weekend on a mini horseback riding adventure, my daughter called with such urgency in her voice.
Tragedy struck once again.
First, she informed us of Christina Grimmie’s murder after the concert in Orlando, Florida.
My daughter learned of Christina first from being You Tube famous, then appearing on The Voice. My family and I used to gather around the television on Monday nights to watch the women and men compete. This is such a sad and tragic loss.
The very next day, my daughter called again fed up, frustrated, and scared asking, “What is this world coming to?”
More tragedy struck in Orlando, Florida at a gay club leaving 50 dead and 53 wounded.
A hate crime.
Oh, dear God!
Tonight I shared something on Facebook that said, “If your religion requires you to hate people, then you need another religion!” Immediately two people liked it within seconds of it being shared. It is the TRUTH, though!
I have heard the argument and have seen my share of Christians that have zero tolerance for homosexuals. They take the bible and all but beat people with it, as if THEY, themselves, are without sin. Why condemn people just because they sin differently? Here’s a news flash for you – there is not a single person among us that is without sin. NO ONE can sit on their high horse and honestly say that they don’t have some form of sin in their lives. Whether they lie, cheat, steal, are gay/lesbian, overeat, drink too much, do illegal drugs or abuse prescription drugs, hide in darkness with pornography, gossip, allow jealousy to consume them – the list of sins goes on and on. We just sin differently! Therefore, who are WE to cast stones at others around us?
As Christians, we are to hate the sin but LOVE the sinner. There is far too much hate in this world and too many hate crimes as a result of it! This madness needs to STOP!
Would you turn your back on your son or daughter if they came in one day and announced that they were gay? I would hope that you wouldn’t. This child is STILL YOUR CHILD no matter what they reveal to you. You loved them from the moment you first found out you were pregnant with them, so why would you dare turn your back on them just because they announced they had a different sexual preference than you? You are still called to LOVE them! They are your flesh and blood – they were moments before revealing this to you and they STILL ARE afterwards, too!
Just a few short years ago, my daughter “tested” me on this very subject. She came into the room and said she needed to talk to me. I stopped what I was doing, sat down across from her at the table, and gave her my full attention. She hesitated before going on but proceeded to informed me that she was a lesbian. I looked her straight in the face and replied, “Okay … and? What did you have to tell me?” She looked puzzled, paused and then halfway questioned, “Mom?” I never took my eyes off of her as she asked, “That’s it? You aren’t going to say anything about what I just told you? You’re not mad? You don’t hate me?” I took it all in, but I did not hesitate one second before I responded, “I love you no matter what – my love for you is unconditional. Period!” She stared back at me from across the table in disbelief. Then she said she was only trying to see what my reaction would be – she WASN’T a lesbian after all – she just wanted to see if I would react like her friend’s parents had reacted when they found out about their daughter. From what my daughter said, the parents threatened to disown their daughter. What a truly sad situation! Apparently, though, I passed my daughter’s little “test” with flying colors and left her almost speechless in the process. She came back to this subject matter a little while later, still in disbelief of my response, so I took that opportunity once again to tell her that there is not anything in the world that she can ever do that will cause me to turn away from her or make me love her any less. I am her mother. I may not like some of her choices in life, but regardless, I love her unconditionally. I always have, and I always will.
I had several friends that “came out” to reveal that they are lesbians just a few years ago. They weren’t kidding around or testing the waters, though. One was a massage therapist that I used to go to for quite a few years, actually. She changed locations, and I was trying to save money so I stopped going as frequently as I once had for massages. She feared that I had learned the “truth” about her and that caused me to run in the opposite direction, which couldn’t have been further from the real reason why I hadn’t been in for a massage. She called me one day to ask if anyone had said anything about her to me, but they hadn’t. She took that time to reveal that she was a lesbian and was afraid I stopped coming in for massages for that reason. Honestly, it didn’t surprise me, but it didn’t stop me from going in later for a massage either. As long as she didn’t try anything with me, I was fine with it. It is her life and her choice. It does not affect me whatsoever.
Shortly after this, I had another friend reveal to me that they, too, were a lesbian. They chose to tell me in an email. I read it, and then responded back to them like I normally would have. This did not cause me to treat them any differently. Their sexual preference is just that – their own. As long as they are not hitting on me and as long as they respect ME, I do not have a problem with them.
You see, in all of the above situations where people “revealed” things to me, I did not get all homophobic and start condemning people. It isn’t my place. While their preferences aren’t that of my own, I can still respect them as individuals. We were friends before, and we are still friends after! They trusted me enough to come to me and share with me. What type of person would I be if I started acting hateful toward them and shunning them? I can hate the sin but still love the sinner, and that is exactly what I have displayed for my daughter, her friends, and my own friends that came out about their sexual preferences.
I realize that everyone is different and no two people will have the same exact reaction. What I don’t get is people purposely setting out to HURT other people just because they are different!
While we’re not sure of a motive in Christina Grimmie’s case, it is quite clear why the shooter went into that gay nightclub. He hated homosexuals, and he wanted to do away with them. There they were having a night out on the town laughing, dancing, and just enjoying life. In walks the gunman and starts claiming lives left and right. Shots were fired, people were held hostage from what I’m hearing on the news, and people texted their loved ones that they were going to die. I just read this a few minutes ago, and it hurts my heart so much. I remember seeing a mother on the news, crying … almost begging for her son to come forth as she hadn’t heard from him. He was her only child, I remember her saying through her tears.
Why?
WHY must these types of things continue to happen?
Why are innocent lives being taken?
I do not understand why human lives are NOT valued in this day and age!
This young man deserved to LIVE just like all the others in the nightclub! No matter what their sexual preferences are – THEY DESERVED TO LIVE!
We need to get down on our knees and pray for this nation as a whole. Black – White – Hispanic – Straight – Gay/Lesbian – Transgender – Baptist – Methodist – Catholic – Non-Denominational – You get the idea! It doesn’t matter WHAT or WHO you are – EVERY SINGLE LIFE is important and should be valued!
We are all different – YES – but we all deserve to LIVE!
When will it end? The senseless shootings? The lives that are lost?
Each person on this planet has worth and value. They deserve to live! They need love, compassion, and kindness!
Each and every one!
Heart’s Desire
This little prayer sits in my kitchen window propped up against a stained glass lighthouse. Immediately to the right of the lighthouse are a few small plants that fit perfectly in that space. I purposely positioned them there to bring joy when I wash my hands at the kitchen sink. They are also there to greet me as I gaze out that window at the hummingbirds visiting my feeder. Tucked inside one of the green plants is a small mauve, white, and green hummingbird just in case I don’t see one fluttering around outside. While these things lining my window seal aren’t much, they bring a smile to my face and lighten my mood every time I see them.
While I didn’t write this prayer, it spoke to my heart when I first read it. I’m actually not sure where it originated from, but for some reason I seem to recall it possibly being tucked in the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital envelope. We try to donate to them every year. They are so kind to send little surprises such as address labels, note pads, and it just seems like it would “fit” that this little prayer was included. They also send personal stories of children that have been receiving treatment. Their stories break my heart as I recall a time when a sixth grade girl in my daughter’s class was diagnosed with cancer. My daughter was so overcome with sadness when she heard the news, and it was her heart’s desire to help her friend. We set out, along with Greg Johnson who handles all things behind the scenes with Light Love Hope, to do just that. Our efforts were successful and helped provide for her mother while she took off time from work to care for her child. Her story has a happy ending, as she just graduated from high school last weekend. Her treatment set her back a year on her school work, so she graduated a year behind my daughter. She has been in remission for several years now. This young lady is a walking miracle and a prime example of God’s healing power!
Ah, but back to where this prayer possibly originated from.
Perhaps it was included in literature that our neighbor, Ms. Betty, passed along to us. She likes to recycle things that she receives in the mail. Her heart is in the right place as she shares Journey magazines, calendars, and sometimes even books. The latest little booklets she placed in a yellow envelope inside my mailbox were about how to get to know Jesus. One book in particular asks on the cover, “Do You Know Jesus?” Yes! We do!
No matter where this little prayer came from, it echoes my heart’s desire.
How often do we stop to thank God for our many blessings? Oh, how wonderful it would be if we only stop for a moment, in between the muttering and complaining that we get in a habit of doing, and consider all that He has done for us. He has provided for our every need, and He will not fail. No matter what, God is an ever present force in our lives longing for a relationship with us. He cares for the tiniest sparrow. His love and care for us is even greater.
What if we were to strive daily to have a positive outlook? No one will want what we have if we’re negative and down in the dumps all the time. We want people to see the Jesus in us so that they will long for what we have and begin to ask questions. Then it will open up the conversation for us to share about our Lord and Savior! I think of the lady’s video that went viral recently — the mom wearing the Chewbacca mask and how she just laughed and laughed over how she looked in the mirror. She was so joyful that everyone was watching and sharing her video all around the globe. When asked about her joyfulness, she took that opportunity to share in her “15 minutes of fame” that her joy comes from the Lord. Oh, what a wonderful opportunity to share about our Jesus, and she did just that! That is what I’m talking about – to be so filled that people ask what is the source of your joy … and our reply should be, “Jesus Christ!”
Let every single thing that we say and do bring honor, praise, and glory to Jesus.
Indeed.
May this be your heart’s desire as well.
Followed
My daughter was followed tonight on her way home from work. It was late, and she was scared.
This has always been a fear of mine since she was a tiny baby; someone would try to harm her in some way, threaten her, or attempt to kidnap her. Although I know I should not live in fear, every time the phone rings when she is not in my line of vision, my entire body tightens up. I can feel the stress in every muscle as anxiety takes over until I hear in her voice that she is okay. Then and only then do I sigh a huge sigh of relief.
Earlier tonight she texted as she usually does before pulling away from her place of employment. She had to work late and help close. I texted back for her to be careful, as it was raining, and that I love her.
A few minutes later, my phone rang. I knew immediately something was wrong.
“Mama, I think I’m being followed?”
“Are you sure?”
“No, but I think so because every move I make, the person is right there on my tail. I speed up, they speed up. They won’t stop following me!”
“Do NOT come home. Drive around until I get where you are. I’m coming …” I grabbed my purse and headed out the door with my husband and youngest daughter in tow.
Within seconds, she calls back but to my husband’s phone. My husband answers this time reassuring her that we are on the way. She tells him of what she is experiencing with the driver, and I know without a doubt as this information is related that she is, indeed, being followed by someone that is up to no good.
“Call the police!” I say to my husband.
He continues talking to her.
I grab my phone and shove it in his general direction as I look forward, both hands on the wheel trying not to exceed the speed limit, but anxious to get to my daughter.
“CALL 9-1-1 NOW!”
He hesitated again, always wanting to see the best in people, uncertain at this point if she is really and truly being followed. My gut instinct tells me that she is not paranoid. This person IS really following her! It’s late at night, and I can ONLY imagine that this person has ill intentions toward my daughter!
Within minutes, I reach the area where she is, and I can see it with my own two eyes! YES, she is, indeed, being followed! I witnessed the car tailgating her and going every where she went. She had previously turned off at a gas station, drove through it and then went back on the main road. Then she turned around on the highway and went back the opposite direction. They, apparently, thought she was going back to the same gas station, so they went straight to it – she turned off when the road split, though. I was right there on their tail at this point and got what looked like 185 3GA as their license plate number. It was dark and raining, and when I pulled in behind them, they sped off. It was a black car with tinted windows, although I could not tell the make, but it was small like a Camry or something similar.
Finally, I hear my husband dialing 9-1-1 and speaking to the dispatcher as we proceeded to follow the car. My daughter managed to escape from the stalker and was now safe in another location.
The car went at a high rate of speed when they realized we were now following them giving them a taste of their own medicine. They finally drove out of sight as I refused to exceed the speed limit. It was RAINING, and I was afraid to drive too fast for conditions. Before the black car went out of sight, I witnessed them swerve in the road. I did not want to get into an accident and endanger our lives chasing some one that was up to no good in the first place. Thankfully, God helped me maintain my composure and the ability to think clearly. We notified our county police who then notified two other counties around us. That was about all we could do at this point. We saw a cop car waiting on the side of the road a few miles after the black car went out of sight. We anticipated they would be going in that direction not realizing there was a side road they could take. Apparently, when they sped out of sight, they went that direction down the side road instead of straight where this cop would have gotten them. We stopped to tell the police, and they went en route again looking for the black car.
It was all out of our hands. We notified the authorities, and all we can do is hope the police department ran the license plate and will speak to the registered owner of the vehicle if they were not able to locate or stop this vehicle tonight.
We returned home where my daughter had just arrived as well. I immediately went to her and hugged her, thanking God for her safety and for His protection.
She attempted to eat, but she was feeling nauseated at this point so she went to lay down in her room instead. Within minutes, she comes back into the living room where I am sitting and says that a guy she met on an online forum messaged her when he hasn’t talked to her in weeks. She said he asked what was going on and she told him she was followed tonight. He responded by saying, “Yea, it was me.” Whether this guy was joking or not, neither of us were sure, but this is NOT something to make light of. I told her to call him to see if this truly was him tonight. She didn’t have his number in her phone any longer, but I did from when she went off with him once before. I immediately started dialing his number. He answered but did not say a word. I called his name, and finally he said, “Yes …” I informed him of who I was and what happened earlier tonight. I asked if it really was him that followed her, and he stuttered as he said, “No … ma’am … I was … only … joking.” I took that opportunity to inform him of how scared my daughter was and that this was NOT a time for jokes. I told him that IF it was him, the police now have a description of his car AND the license plate number because *I* followed the vehicle and made sure to get this information to turn in to the police. He stumbled over his words once more as he apologized and said he never should have joked with her about it as he did not realize how upset she truly was. After we hung up, my daughter and I just stood there looking at each other.
She informed me of two individuals that came into her place of employment tonight when she was working. One asked to date her, but she declined. The other kept staring her down, which made her feel uncomfortable.
We’ve wracked our brains trying to figure out WHO this could be that followed her. Was it the person that jokingly said it was him … was it the individual that asked to date her … was it the suspicious guy looking her up and down … or was it someone that picked her out of a crowd and decided tonight was a good night to scare her?!
We’ve had trouble with immature people in the past harassing my daughter at work, asking her co-workers for her work schedule so they could be sure to come up there to bother her, no doubt. Honestly, we thought we were done with all of that drama since we cut an individual out of our lives that will no longer be allowed to return. We gave this individual an undeserved second chance. Why do I say undeserved? Because we realized after he showed his true colors again that nothing had changed about this individual. When they came back begging forgiveness, saying how they changed and would work hard to prove it, instead, all we saw was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This individual attempted to pull the wool over our eyes. He came back proclaiming to be something he was NOT; therefore, this individual has no place in our lives any longer. Now we sit and wonder if this person – or his friends – might be behind this just as they were the last time people were bothering my daughter a few short months ago.
Yes, everyone is a suspect at this point, and everything seems suspicious. We aren’t paranoid. We’re very much concerned for my daughter’s safety, and trust me — you would be, TOO, if this happened to YOUR child!
As sleep has closed everyone’s eyes in this house, except for mine, I sit still shaken by what took place tonight. While she and I do not know who is behind this, GOD KNOWS! Rest assured, HE will have the final say, and the person or persons with ill intent will NOT get away with it. God will see to it! Evil will NOT prevail!
My husband regrets that he wasn’t the one behind the wheel tonight. While I would not go at a high rate of speed and chance endangering my husband’s life or the life of our youngest child, he said he would have gone just as fast as them to make sure they didn’t get out of his sight. I knew that was not a smart move, especially on wet roads with as much rain as we have gotten AND with us being on back country roads with deer known to be in the area. He said he wishes he had a chance to go up to their vehicle to confront them at the gas station before they sped off, but I told him that in this day and age we are living in, we have no way of knowing if someone would pull a gun on him when he approached. My daughter actually said she was fearful when the vehicle pulled up right beside her on the highway flashing their lights. She said she leaned way back in her seat so if they did shoot, she wouldn’t be in the line of fire.
Oh, dear GOD! What a world we are living in when my daughter has to be afraid she’s going to get SHOT at!!
People, this is serious when you have someone following a 19 year old late at night flashing lights, getting up beside her car, etc. They followed her doing this for 30 minutes or more. There was NO doubt what was going on when I saw it happening with my own two eyes. This also happened to me when I was around her age, and I called the police as well. I instructed her that if she wouldn’t have been able to get me on the phone tonight that she was to call 9-1-1 if it happened again and go straight to the police station requesting an officer meet her out front.
She did the right thing by NOT taking these people to her house and NOT stopping to see what they wanted. I will be AT her place of employment when she gets off work when I am in town from now on, and I will escort her home. If I’m not in town, I’ll have someone there to make sure she is SAFE!
People have said before that I’m too involved in her life. TOO INVOLVED???? (Note: The main ones saying this are the ones that were attempting to harass, stalk, and bully her a few months ago and some so-called-friends that have agreed with them after the fact.) Well, FYI … She is MY CHILD, and it is MY JOB to PROTECT HER if I can. While there is still breath in my body, REST ASSURED, I WILL DO ALL I CAN FOR HER!
I contacted a friend tonight that works with the highway patrol to ask their opinion and to see if we can do anything further to pursue this with the license plate number.
As I close, here is a little bit of advice. Hold your children close – no matter their age and no matter WHO tries to get in your business and tell you that you’re “too involved.” At least my daughter knows she is LOVED and I will ALWAYS have her back! As long as God allows me to be on this earth with her, she can ALWAYS depend on ME!
Parents, talk to your children and let them know what to do if THEY feel they are being followed. You can not be too safe here when your children are involved. It’s a sad world we’re living in when this type of conversation is needed with our children, but PLEASE … talk to them. Instruct them on what to do to ensure they are safe! It is a conversation you need to have in this day and age.
Never miss an opportunity to tell your children how much they mean to you, how much you love them, and ALWAYS hold them close to your heart no matter how old they get. They will always be your children, and they always need your love.
And finally, pray … without ceasing … PRAY for your children!!
God is with them. God is for them. God is in them.
Oh, Father God, protect our children. Each and every one!
