Pages

Saturday, July 28, 2012

"J" is for Joyful Heart

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit  dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

I have spent lots of hours in prayer. Praying for our world, for the sadness that seems to fall over us at the most innocent times. Like watching a movie and having your life turned inside out. Losing a loved one. Feeling as though you are trying to run away in a bad dream. Through all of it the Lord never falters. He never leaves our side. He will never abandon us.




I felt that writing about a joyful heart during my  Alphabe Thursday post would help my healing.  I was terribly saddened by the shooting last week in Aurora, Colorado. My goodness, I live with 20-30 minutes from there, depending on the traffic flow! I started watching the T.V. reports.  I started to see the faces of young people, gunned down by a well planned, methodical man who's name I will never speak of . I get upset when the T.V. and internet blast his image and that of his attorney for me to see! I feel as though I am staring into the soul of Satan himself. So when his face appears I shut my eyes and I pray that God will remove his face from my mind.



I was feeling so sad and unable to concentrate for the first few days. I prayed for answers and I realized it hit me like a ton of bricks because my own phamily. So many of the victims were young, beautiful, vibrate people like my own children. Then my oldest son said he knew one of the victims. Jesse Childress, an Air Force reservist who worked at Buckley A.F. Base in Aurora. It just really struck me hard. Then the Lord gave me the verse I posted here. I am not making light of the shooting but there are many joys that have risen from it already!



Baby Hugo Jackson Medley born July 24th. His father Caleb was shot protecting  his pregnant wife Katie during the shooting.   Caleb took a bullet in his eye and is in critical condition at the University Hospital. When Hugo was born and Katie took him to see his dad the family said Caleb's blood pressure became stable when he heard his sons cries! Caleb is in a drug induced coma.




Christian Bale and his wife visited with the victims at local hospitals and were photographed at the memorial site. They looked like regular folks although his sad expression made me respect him for taking his time to make this journey.  He came here privately, on his own without a lot of studio hoopla. Just a concerned citizen. It made lots of people smile especially many of the victims at the hospital recovering.


Petra Anderson was shot several times. You may have read her story. The 22 year old musician was shot in the head but when the bullet passed through her brain it missed all significant areas of the brain!  Her pastor blogged about it at Celtic Straits! A small joy in a huge tragedy!



Jessica Ghawa's family have started a scholarship fund. They are hopeful another young woman will want to enter the world of sportscasting. They said they would not let Jessica die in vain!



`Pierce O'Farrill a survivor who was released from the hospital hopes to meet the shooter one day in prison. He would like to tell him he has forgiven him and will ask if he can pray for him.


Brenda Kay Pourciau has a long road ahead of her filled with lots of surgery and therapy. She lost part of her knee in the shooting. She just graduated high school in Baton Rouge, Louisana and was on a road trip with a friend. They had left Seattle and decided to stop in Denver. A movie sounded good! She and her friend were in the back of the theater when she was hit. She said a great peace came over her and they crawled out of there. Once inside the lobby she could not crawl anymore. Along came Chris Lakota, just out of the Spiderman movie. He carried her into the arms of a waiting patrol car. That officer rushed her and another victim to the hospital. Without their fast thinking Brenda would have lost her leg!


My joyful heart does not take away from those who lost their lives so violently. It just lets the world know that good can come from evil and we should never lose faith in our fellow man. In the days to come these families will grieve. They will be angry. They will be sad. But they will never forget the loved ones they lost and will always have their joyful memories with them.






25 comments:

Terra said...

This is the best writing I have read about this horrible event. Bless your heart for finding God filled moments and heroism even in that dark place.

Anonymous said...

I had written a comment then lost it into the internet spaces somewhere. I'll try and say it again . . .

I had stopped by via your photo link on Beverly's Pink Saturday. I did find that photo in one of your other pink posts and read a couple of them as well.

Then, I came back and read this post. Very well said and written. I was thinking about how wicked and vile people can be and then how beautiful (other) people can be. I thought about this tragedy without the blessings surrounding it. That would be the most horrid of tragedies . . . but because someone carried another out, protected his wife and unborn child (and heard the results even through the drug induced coma, to read about the desire to forgive . . . those are beautiful caring and loving moments. To not mention them is of great loss. Thank you for your post. Helps wounds to heal to learn of acts of "light" in a "dark" world. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Actually, instead of "thanks" . . . thank you!

Anonymous said...

Just one more PS - I've added a partial quote and link to your post on my blog - sharing what you have said with others. Thank you again, Jenn

Mevely317 said...

These "snapshot" moments have just lifted me, Anne!
When baby Hugo was born, I remember thinking, "Oh, I hope they take him and place (him) on his daddy's chest." There's so much we don't know about comas ... but your share has reassured me. Still praying!

anitamombanita said...

This was an incredible post. Thank you for sharing your uplifting perspective on the senseless tragedy. I have so much respect and admiration for those who have suffered and yet seek to forgive and make something good of all this. God bless you and all who were touched by the Aurora events.

Cathy said...

Thank you.

Gattina said...

A real horrible event ! Guns are too easy to get in the States.

Anonymous said...

I always appreciate a look at the positive side and you've brought us lots of good things to contemplate. Thanks.

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

A wonderfully written post, Anne! It is filled with positive thoughts and I know it is sure to minister to many. Thank you for sharing.

Blessings,
Sandi

The French Hutch said...

As Sandi says, well written. So much sorrow and finding miracles to be thankful for!

Blessings,
Emily
The French Hutch

Amy said...

Beautiful post. Thanks for sharing.

I was in Winter Park, CO back in the early '90's. It was a peaceful, lovely place.

Thank you for helping us to see the good from the evil.

May the Lord Bless you and yours.

Anonymous said...

This was a tragedy and truly beyond human understanding. Thank you for posting these post-event vignettes. Each of them gives hope for a future beyond tragedy.

Renee said...

What a wonderful post to honor some of those who died in that horrific shooting spree. So sad, but yet all things will work together for good somehow as God promises. I love the words of Neh.8:10
Renee from Adventures in Faithful Living

Dogmom Diva said...

A wonderful post, Anne, could not have said it better than that..We never know when it will be 'our' time and I hope I am prepared as I meet my Savior..I hope I have lived a life worth living and giving..I like to think that each one of those who were murdered that night have met with their Lord and are in a much better place now.
I actually did a blog post..amazing..its been a rough year in our home this year and I can't seem to put words to paper anymore..but I figure if I try a little at a time maybe it will all come back to me..
Have a blessed weekend my friend:)
hugs and love,
Barb

Ames said...

I just don't understand whats wrong with people today. Have they lost respect for life? And its people who kill people not guns. When guns fall into the hands of sick minds then you see tragedy. Thanks for posting this beautiful post.~Ames

Denise said...

Such a compassionate post.

My name is Riet said...

What a beautiful post and you said it so well. Just wonderful. I feel so sad for the people who have lost loved ones.

Pondside said...

Thank you for writing from the heart. This horror has been all over the papers, and there have been just too many photos of the madman and not enough about the victims.

Anonymous said...

Anne, your words are truly inspiring and help us to understand. xo

Beverly said...

I truly believe in the power of prayer, and we are many. And, there are many that need our prayers.

Thank you for your visit and birthday wishes.♥

Angela said...

You did a wonderful job with this post Anne. I was shocked by what happened that I didn't watch it on the news much but to know that someone went into the movie theatre and shot a lot of people. I did see him on the news when they broke into it on the station I was watching but other than that I haven't watched any more about it. I didn't know any of the stories of the victims. It is amazing how God can take something evil like that and turn it around. I know there are families still hurting from the action of one person though. Prayer is very powerful. I will have to say that I do have a problem with watching any type of shootings like that especially ones at schools because when I was in the 8th grade a few boys staged a shooting in the class I was in. Thank God they didn't have real bullets but threw eggs but they did have a gun that they fired blanks. Sad to say they got by with it back then. I did talk with one of the boys a few years later who told me the entire thing was geared toward me.

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

Thank you for sharing your heart and thoughts and the "joy" moments that showed through and shine in the midst of a dark event.

Our daughter just graduated from dental school and her roommate (also a dentist) had just moved in that area to continue with more in the way of hospital dentistry. She was part of those that helped with many hospitalized with major dental injuries caused from the shooting.

Continued prayers to all the family, friends and those touched in this tragedy.

Blessings & Aloha!
Thank you also dear friend for your lovely comment and visit! (Hugs to you as your son goes off to college :o)

Jenny said...

You have such a posiive perception of these events and are truly an inspiration...

Great Job for the letter "J"...

Thanks for linking!

A+

Splendid Little Stars said...

poignant
powerful

God's love is unfailing. yes even through trials of many kinds. And during those trials we can experience joy. Amazing!
I have certainly seen the good that happens in situations some would call "bad."