After all, You are constant.

My heart's been heavy with this constant news coverage of the terrible tragedy that occurred in Connecticut on Friday. Being a dance teacher and pondering jumping into the real teaching profession, I cannot fathom the danger those teachers and administrators felt when they heard gunshots. Yet, there was not an ounce of selfishness in those people who protected their students from bullets. I am just so overwhelmed with sorrow for those innocent, precious people who lost their lives that day.

This has also triggered my ever-present interest in understanding how people think. I chose my major of Human Development and Family Sciences because I wanted to understand how my younger dance students thought and how I could effectively communicate to them. Growing up, I taught dance but I never really learned how to control a class of elementary schoolers and I'm grateful that I now know techniques and how to approach people at their developmental level. With that being said, I do wonder how counselors, pastors, therapists, etc. could have dealt with any issues that the shooter was having. Now, I realize it's much more complex than this, but I do believe that kind words to those who are dealing with any sort of internal turmoil can help people.

Religious or not, we all need to treat people not how we want to be treated, but how they deserve to be treated. I say this because we often give love in the way we like to receive love. But not everyone receives love the same. Just like in Gary Chapman's book The Five Love Languages, we can't all be treated the same way and expect the same results. Just like some concepts (math, in particular) don't click with kids, some ways of communication or word choices can set some people off.

I'm sure this is on everyone's mind already but there are truly great teachers, some of which I'm sure you've been blessed with, really do care about their students. Really care. And would protect them like their own children.

As I was thinking about this weekend's events, one song kept popping into my head. And that is Not For A Moment by Meredith Andrews. I love her voice and I love the message in the song.

After all, You are constant

After all, You are only good

After all, You are sovereign

Not for a moment did You forsake me.

I hope that God brings comfort to those who are so saddened by their losses and know that He will never forsake you.

Here's Meredith's song if you'd like to listen: