This may be the most difficult BLOG I’ve ever written. In fact, it may be the most difficult writing I’ve ever done. And, I’ve resigned my thinking that after reading this BLOG, some of you may never want to read another BLOG of mine. But, I do hope you will bear with me.
To not know what has transpired in the small Texas town this past week, one would need to have been living in a gopher’s hole. What transpired there I can’t discuss; except to say that it was an unthinkably, horrific act by someone who must have been extremely deranged. And, it wasn’t the first; there have been so many. So many incidents. So much human life, gone. So many humans who have assumed they have the right to take the life of many other human beings. Some deaths who have occurred one at a time. So many that have occurred in mass murders. And, we are told by those “in the know” that there will be more.
What can we do about all of this? What will our lawmakers do about it? Will they respond to encouragement from their constituents? From the families who have lost their loved ones? From organizations that have been crying out for change? Only time will tell. Time when these horrendous happenings will happen again
I want to talk about something that was not a part of my thinking until it was told to me by a friend, now gone. Barb Shott was a good friend and fellow watercolorist. We met in art class, years ago. But, before I talk about what she told me, some “back story” thinking information needs to be related.
Larry lost his life to chronic lymphocytic leukemia in July of 2017. We knew during the twenty years that this leukemia was with him, there would be a day when something would overpower his weakened immune system. Surely enough, the day came in mid-July of that year that it was clear his life was near its end. I was blessed to be with him at the end; the rest of his family (daughters #1 and #3, son-in-law, and grands) were rushing to be with him. Unfortunately, they were a little late, but said their good-byes as soon as they arrived.
We (family and friends) were all very saddened that the eventual actually happened. God called him home. We cried. We were and still are incredibly lonely that he is gone. We miss him terribly. Then, the pandemic happened.
We began to understand that if Larry had lived until the pandemic hit, he would not have been able to go to work. His life would have been threatened every time he met someone, had to go somewhere into a crowd; or even to the doctor. He would not have been able to see his eldest daughter who lives in this town. He would have been confined to his home and, although home is welcoming, it is still confining. Although home had his dogs, and he could garden at will, he still would not have been able to work. And, he did love to go to work.
For all of these reasons and more, his family and friends came to realize that his death at the time it had occurred was, forgive me, fortuitous. Had he been forced to live through the pandemic and everything about it, we think he would have died a little every day. It seems to us that God called him Home at the right time. And, of course, none of us will ever know when our time will be. It does seem that the God we worship knows what to do and when to do it.
At another time so many years ago, Barb spoke to me about one of the earlier school massacres. I was expressing my disgust and anguish at the happening. I was crying for the lost children. Barb, too, expressed her own feelings about the loss of the children. And, then, she said . . .
“Consider this. We do not know what lives these children would have experienced, had they lived. What may have been their lot? Cancer or other disease, physical injury, destructive marriages, car crashes – we just don’t know their future. Perhaps, the God we worship has taken them home before those things could happen to them. We do not know. We will never know. Do we blame God for this?”
Dear Readers, please don’t misunderstand. This does not excuse what the murderers have done. But, perhaps, we may have a sense of peace knowing that the children are Home for eternity.
Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are appreciated.
2 replies on “The Unthinkable”
Just as Larry was taken by the results of lymphoma, my husband Bob died in 2008. If he had lived, in 2019 he would have experienced the death of our daughter. If he had had to live through the last few years of Covid he would have, like Larry, been cooped up at home. I would often joke with him regarding that he couldn’t hear in the dark because he did a great job of lip reading. So often I have had to remove my mask in order for a person who does a lot of lip reading to “hear”. So we don’t know what or if God has a plan for us but it’s something to consider.
I understand the sentiment. My father passed in May of 2019 and I, too, was relieved he didn’t have to try to survive the pandemic. Many people that lived in his retirement community died, also the nursing homes he spent a few weeks in were hit hard.
I can’t say I have a faith that gives me comfort in thinking those who were shot may have suffered more had they lived and they are in a better place now. My world view doesn’t allow for that. I’m glad that you have that faith, as it would help you cope better than me had I lost a child to senseless violence. I hope I never find out, though.