Three years ago today, the Appomattox shootings forever changed the lives of many people. One lone shooter managed to alter the course of time for many families and the emotional effect was far outreaching. In the twinkle of an eye, destinations and lives were forever changed. We will never know how this one moment in time scarred even people we have never met. I know the death of my nephew, Shannon Sipe, and his family left a huge void in our family.
However, as I look back on this horrendous time, it is not the event itself that weighs heavily on my heart, but the significance of the lives that were spared. There were others during this trauma that should have, in all perspective, been among those listed as deceased. The reasoning around the situation is one that played out in a way that simply did not make sense. People left behind during tragedies sometimes suffer what is known as survivor’s guilt. The lack of understanding as to why some are taken from us and others are left behind.
I have often pondered this over the years as I have struggled with the death of people I have loved … people that have gone way too early in life … people that should, for all intent and purposes, be here today. We all carry the weight around of that one question … why were they taken and am I still here? Considering the lives that some of us have led in the past, our being here does not make sense when compared to the ones that have gone ahead. It is this that I find my mind focused on today.
God has a purpose for all of us and He has had that purpose before Him prior to our being born. He has a destination for us that is beyond our simple logic. His plan for our lives is so great and so good, but often times we fail to see His purpose because we are drowning in our own free will, which restrains Him from being able to show us the awesomeness of what He has for us. This is where I become frustrated at life … I become discouraged with myself and others who have been spared tragedies and are still alive today. We don’t seem to quite grasp that we are chosen by Him … we have been blessed by Him … we are still here for a reason which He wants us to know so He can bless us. However, we get so bogged down with everyday life, with self, with everything the devil can use to stop us from becoming everything that God has for us.
Considering my lifestyle prior to becoming a Christian, how could I not dwell on the purpose God has kept me here. As many others can, I can name more than one time that my life should not have been spared. I can look back over time and find no human reasoning why I am here today typing this article. Why has God kept me here? The Bible tells me that I am special … that I am chosen by Him … that He has a plan for my life. How can I not give Him my all and discover what that destination is? He spared me and there is a great reason for it. Don’t I owe it to myself to figure this out? Don’t I owe it to Him? What is it in us that we would rather drag ourselves through each day, doing our free will, rather than turn to Him and allow Him to guide us? What does it take for us to realize that today … this very moment is a gift? How many loved ones do we have to lose to grasp the concept that He has something special for us and it is worth discovering?
The people that we have lost fulfilled His destiny for them. They were special and now they reside with Him. They are watching over us, cheering us on, and praying that we will realize our uniqueness and discover His special plan for us.
Let today be the day that it finally sets in … today I will give it all to Him because He has spared me for a reason. Today is the day I will give up my free will and seek His will for my life. What He has for us is so special. Is your life so grand and awesome that what He has for you does not compare? I think not! Do it for yourself! Do it in honor of the one that He took home! Do it for Him and watch how your life becomes far richer than you ever imagined!
However, as I look back on this horrendous time, it is not the event itself that weighs heavily on my heart, but the significance of the lives that were spared. There were others during this trauma that should have, in all perspective, been among those listed as deceased. The reasoning around the situation is one that played out in a way that simply did not make sense. People left behind during tragedies sometimes suffer what is known as survivor’s guilt. The lack of understanding as to why some are taken from us and others are left behind.
I have often pondered this over the years as I have struggled with the death of people I have loved … people that have gone way too early in life … people that should, for all intent and purposes, be here today. We all carry the weight around of that one question … why were they taken and am I still here? Considering the lives that some of us have led in the past, our being here does not make sense when compared to the ones that have gone ahead. It is this that I find my mind focused on today.
God has a purpose for all of us and He has had that purpose before Him prior to our being born. He has a destination for us that is beyond our simple logic. His plan for our lives is so great and so good, but often times we fail to see His purpose because we are drowning in our own free will, which restrains Him from being able to show us the awesomeness of what He has for us. This is where I become frustrated at life … I become discouraged with myself and others who have been spared tragedies and are still alive today. We don’t seem to quite grasp that we are chosen by Him … we have been blessed by Him … we are still here for a reason which He wants us to know so He can bless us. However, we get so bogged down with everyday life, with self, with everything the devil can use to stop us from becoming everything that God has for us.
Considering my lifestyle prior to becoming a Christian, how could I not dwell on the purpose God has kept me here. As many others can, I can name more than one time that my life should not have been spared. I can look back over time and find no human reasoning why I am here today typing this article. Why has God kept me here? The Bible tells me that I am special … that I am chosen by Him … that He has a plan for my life. How can I not give Him my all and discover what that destination is? He spared me and there is a great reason for it. Don’t I owe it to myself to figure this out? Don’t I owe it to Him? What is it in us that we would rather drag ourselves through each day, doing our free will, rather than turn to Him and allow Him to guide us? What does it take for us to realize that today … this very moment is a gift? How many loved ones do we have to lose to grasp the concept that He has something special for us and it is worth discovering?
The people that we have lost fulfilled His destiny for them. They were special and now they reside with Him. They are watching over us, cheering us on, and praying that we will realize our uniqueness and discover His special plan for us.
Let today be the day that it finally sets in … today I will give it all to Him because He has spared me for a reason. Today is the day I will give up my free will and seek His will for my life. What He has for us is so special. Is your life so grand and awesome that what He has for you does not compare? I think not! Do it for yourself! Do it in honor of the one that He took home! Do it for Him and watch how your life becomes far richer than you ever imagined!
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