Yesterday

Sunday night I slept out in the back yard in a tent with my two older kids (Benjamin, 6, and Grace, almost 4). I was overjoyed that they both made it through the night and never talked about wanting to go inside. The temps were pretty chilly (34 degrees in the AM), so that made it all the more of an accomplishment. Because we had gotten out to the tent kind of late on Sunday night, I promised them that we would have hotdogs and smores for breakfast. I woke up around 6:30 Monday morning (I had taken the day off from work) and got a small fire going, so when they woke up we moved some lawn chairs over and got to roasting. Grace was quite the picture in her winter hat and foot-ee pajamas eating a hotdog off a stick that had been cooked over the open fire. After a couple bites, she admitted that this was the "best day ever". I had to agree.

The rest of the morning was spent lounging around indoors waiting for and then watching the Boston Marathon, one of my favorite televised sporting events. I also had fun tracking as many friends and New Englanders as I could think of on the BAA website (never did figure out how to look at more than one athlete at a time, other than the leaderboard).

Even though I had taken the day off, I had to go in to Gordon at 2:00 to meet with some prospective students who would be visiting for a "Gordon Experience Day". I planned to be on campus until about 4, and then go for a run, which is usually of the inspired variety on Marathon Monday. Little did I know I would end up completely losing my appetite to run as the now-infamous events of the afternoon unfolded...

A few thoughts:

I struggle with what to make of acts of terror and how to respond to someone's obvious attempt to harm or kill others, especially when it is done in a way that seems to beg for mass attention.

I didn't have much of an answer other than, "Yes," when Benjamin asked me if someone meant for the bomb to go off.

I know there are people who are grieving for loved ones lost or injured in a way that will change the rest of their lives.

I also understand that people, myself included, are disposed to hurt others when we act selfishly.

It is so hard to figure what goes wrong in someone's life to bring them to the point where they commit such an act. But I don't doubt that a string of messed up decisions, ill-guided plans or hurt feelings can build into something pretty dangerous and disgusting.

I am thankful (and somewhat amazed) that things like this don't happen more often, because of the tendencies of people toward sin. I am grateful to God for His protection and mercies, which are new every morning.(Lamentations 3:23)