Tired

Of sickness.

Of death.

Of evilness.

Tired of this awful, evil world.  This world where babies die.  Where people suffer with disease and sickness.  Where friends are murdered.

Praying that Jesus returns soon.

Please pray for my friend Virginia’s family and friends.  She was one of our first friends when we moved to Harrisonburg.  We spent a lot of time with her and her (then) husband.  Going out to eat (we even spent one of our anniversaries with them at IHOP!), sitting around talking (and burning incense!), counseling them through tough times.  Even traveling to NC together to attend a friend’s funeral.  As some friendships do, we drifted apart for several years.

Virginia and I had a good talk recently (in February) about faith and God and getting back on track.  She talked about how she still had faith.  How she often wondered if she had made the right decision in getting a divorce.  And about how she was trying to get “back on track” with God and wanted to get back to church.  About how she still believed in God.  I told her about our house church and how we would love to have her join us again.  About how we really missed seeing her.

I had really good intentions of calling her and getting together before we moved.  And although I talked to her frequently (she was a nurse at my doctor’s office and I called them at least once a week about one of my patients) I never asked her to get together.  I never took the time to spend time with her before we moved.

On Monday night, her estranged boyfriend murdered her outside her home in front of her neighbors–including three children.  He shot her three times.  She had told her neighbor that she was scared.  That she was afraid that he was going to kill her.  And she stayed there anyway.

What if I had made that call before I moved?  What if I had reconnected her with our church?  What if she had someone to talk to about her fears?  Somewhere safe to go.  She had recently relocated to Grottoes–about 5 minutes from where we used to live.  We were even in town on Monday morning before it happened.

I know that I can’t blame myself but I am really disappointed in myself that I didn’t act on my good intentions.  That I didn’t take the time to sit down and talk with and encourage a friend who obviously was reaching out to me.

God knew Virginia’s heart.  She was a baptized believer in Jesus.  I know her heart was in the right place and she was a good, honest person.  She had a sweet, gentle spirit.  I pray that I will see her in Heaven again one day.

Jesus, please come back soon.  There are mamas who want to hold their babies (some for the first time), there are people suffering who want to be well and there are friends missing friends.  Please come soon.  We long for the day when there will be no suffering, no pain, no death, when you will WIPE AWAY OUR TEARS.  Come soon.