To Boston & West Texas, with love

I just can't stop thinking about the bombing in boston, the explosion in texas, the manhunt & gunfires in watertown, the people whose lives were lost - or changed in an instant.  I didn't watch the news. Just heard what was going on as I read updates on Twitter over the last week.

All I could think was, How do you get up to go to a MARATHON of all things, and end up leaving without legs or as a widow or, at the very least, seeing a BOMB explode?! These are not things you expect to happen at a marathon.

And, in Texas, you go to sleep and suddenly are fighting for your life after an explosion? An accident, yes. Not a terrorist attack. But still cost a lot of people their lives. A tragedy!

It is insane.

I'm sorry, by the way, if this post is a little much for you right now. If you want to read about something else, I get it. If you're SICK TO DEATH of hearing about all this, i really do understand that, too. No offense taken, at all. But i can't get this off of my mind. I have to blog about it. 

As I said, I didn't watch the news all day. I saw updates on Twitter when i woke up this morning, and read a little more about it when i got to the office. But then I put it out of my mind & got to work.

Later, though, it came to my mind again. I pulled up this article and THAT is why it will no longer leave my mind. That guy. I won't put the picture, although you probably have seen it. (If you are squeamish, don't click the link, or at least don't look too hard at the picture.) This is the guy that went to the marathon to cheer his girlfriend on. I told Brad, that is something people do ALL THE TIME, EVERYWHERE! They run a 5k or a marathon or a half-marathon. That's what people do all over the world these days. And if they don't, they often go to watch someone else. The Boston Marathon is awesome, attracts probably thousands. (I'm guessing, I have no idea.) You get up, you get dressed, you go! You are ready to stand at the finish line to watch your girlfriend cross it.

But instead of going home, you go to a hospital.
And instead of watching your girlfriend cross the finish line, you watch a bomber drop a bag, look you in the eyes, and cause you to lose your legs.

I cannot even comprehend it.

I know people lost their lives. And i pray they knew the Lord. But the people i really cannot stop thinking about are their families. And the others...the ones who were injured. The ones who lost limbs. The ones like Jeff Bauman.

God, help them! Please bring your comfort & peace.

I realized later I have several friends that live in Boston. I knew I had two friends who go to school at the Boston Conservatory there, but they were not in Boston this past week. Another friend has lived there for a year or so, doing theater, he wasn't there either. Then i read a tweet from a girl who used to blog, who i followed & got to know through blogging. She was AT the marathon! She wasn't hurt, and it sounds like she didn't know anyone who was hurt, but gosh! Cannot imagine being there.

I have to add that this was a week where i debated getting off of facebook again. I have deactivated my account before, and it was nice. I like staying connected, though. But I hid a lot of people from my feed this week. I really cannot grasp what drives people - perfectly nice, normal people, mind you - to post political agendas or self-righteous garb when a disaster happens. Why not just, "praying for boston" or "i love west texas"??? Why do we have to use everything to "prove a point" on facebook? To me, it just shows a lack of compassion and sensitivity.

The other thing that annoyed me is right after the explosion in West Texas, I had three facebook posts in my newsfeed immediately. One fussing at the media for still covering Boston & not West Texas (maybe they wanted all the facts first?!), and two saying "more people dead in West Texas than in Boston". What is your POINT? I mean, so what if more people died in one place than the other! Am i supposed to care more for the one that lost more lives? Really? So, what if I lived in Texas and i had family in west texas and one of them died. And what if i also had an aunt at the Boston Marathon & she died. Do you think I would want America to care more about my family in West Texas just because it affected more people? BOTH events were tragedies, people. There should be room in your heart to care for BOTH.

The thoughtlessness of people flabbergasts me. Seriously.

I sound like I think the Boston tragedy is worse now. That's not what I'm saying. Please don't misunderstand! I have been stuck on Boston now, because it's a terrorist attack, because one was still at large (thankfully, he's now in custody!), and because of the picture of Jeff Bauman. But i am just as grieved for West Texas. They are closer. I have friends & family near there.

My heart is with both areas, and I hope yours is too. That's all I'm saying.

Anyway, sorry to ramble & ramble & I promise I'll give you a lighter post next time. Just, please, think about the people of Boston & West Texas. And pray for them. They need our prayers. They need his comfort & peace.

"God is our refuge & strength; a very present help in times of trouble." -Psalm 46:1

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:22-23