❤️💛💚💙💜💗

"The word to each of us comes as a sweet sweet note heard through a storm: keep on, keep on, because you don't have any idea what fantastic importance your words or your actions have in the midst of history. Keep on, keep on, because you have no idea of the enormity of difference your prayers for some one person are going to have in the midst of history". -Edith Schaeffer

I’ve had these thoughts on my mind a lot the past couple months, and with the recent monstrous news of the Orlando shooting, my heart is truly breaking.

Six months into 2016 and already it’s been the most troubling year. Suicides and shootings have been way too common, and I have absolutely no idea what it will take anymore. After hearing about the Orlando attacks, my dad and I were talking and he said, “I just can’t tell you how disturbing the generation in which y’all are growing up in has become”. And coming from a huge life-lover, I still completely agree with him. By now society knows that this world is full with hatred. It’s so disheartening that the events that are making world history are solely based off negative, traumatizing and painful actions. 

What’s more disappointing, is that all of this hatred is caused and created by mankind. 

At the end of the day the way people present themselves to the world is not exactly the person they truly are nor how they feel deep inside. We portray what we think is acceptable based on societies standards and I honestly believe everyone hides the best possible version of themselves in fear. And in return that fear pushes us into deeper pain. We are so embarrassed to ask for help or admitting fault that we result to torturing ourselves and others instead. When did weakness become something people feel they can’t admit? Why are our lives something we are so afraid of living? Why are we in fear of living in a world we’re supposed to call our home, a world we’re supposed to feel free, protected, comfortable, accepted? These questions hold so much power because if only we could answer these positively would our world not suffer so extremely. In a world that has become so sensitive to and fought so long for the equality of all people based on race, religion, gender, sexuality and lifestyle, recently we are making it so easy for people to struggle and feel uncomfortable in their own skin.  We need to seriously change the way we view this world and the people living in it. I understand people have different opinions on certain matters, subjects, lifestyles, etc. but at the end of the day it is not hard to treat a stranger or a community with love. We should all root for and encourage the happiness of each and every person instead of dictating or even murdering someone for how they live their life. No matter who you are, being targeted for having the courage to love and live your life true to who you are is wrong. We are all human beings. To look into the eyes of any one person and make them feel hated for the way they live, love, act, behave, exist or anything less of the human being they are is pure cruelty.

I’m scared because the path our world is going down, one day, if you haven’t already, we are all going to experience this sort of loss, an aching in our stomach where you lose the most important thing to you. The shooter from the Orlando attacks took away lives that contributed something uniquely to this world. He took away someones brother, sister, daughter, son, friend and because of that all the joy and smiles these people brought to their family and friends will never be experienced again. They will never be able to forget about the pain and terror of what he did that night, and though he had all the power then, the people affected will always be stronger, braver and remembered more than him. 

As cliche as it sounds, we are all one. At the end of the day we all just want the same things out of life, how we get it and the way we interpret what it looks like is different, but essentially we all just want the same things. 

“But God shows His love for ALL OF US, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Romans 5:8

I believe that Jesus did not die on the cross for THIS. He did not suffer so that we would live in a world where hate crimes, terrorists attacks, self harm, suicide, mass shootings exist. I believe that He did not intend for His people to treat each other this way. It seems that violence and pain are the only things that get peoples attention anymore. God wants a different life for us, He does not want this for us. Our world is progressing and there are people out there who are trying to make this world a better, equal, safer, more beautiful place to live in and no matter what you believe in, we have to believe in love. God calls us love your neighbor as yourself, to not take vengeance against one another, to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate you. His heart is breaking right now, and we have the ability and the reasons to change this world for how He wanted it to be seen but we have to recognize and change what our intentions are. 

To anyone affected by the Orlando shootings or just by a loss in general, I’m so truly sorry and my prayers go out to you. It is in our hands now to make this world a more comfortable, enjoyable, accepting and loving place to be. 

“But anyone who does not know love does not know God, for God IS love.”  1 John 4:8