Most Precious Earthly Possessions

It is tragic, when something as horrific as a school shooting that takes 6 and 7 year old lives to put things into perspective. I admittedly have days where I want to hide in my bathroom and hope for a moments peace. Days where my voice is raised more often then not. Days where my frustration leads me to ask the question why did we have kids? But these 3 beautiful children are my most prized possession. I live a life of sacrifice for them every day. I wouldn't know where I would be if I didn't have them, or if someone were to chose to take them away from me. And yet, as much as the world and everyone in it would call them my own, they are not. God is Father over all, and these children have been given to me from my heavenly Father to tend to, raise, protect, and cherish. They are His gift to us, and we are to live each day in every moment as if it were our last. That is so often hard to do. Even this weekend I failed to do this. But this morning, when buckling them up in our van and driving to school, I looked at them in the rear view mirror, took in every little feature they have. At the school I held Caleb a little extra longer and gave him an even bigger kiss, I held Amberly's hand up to the last moment of the bell and watched has she entered into the school, hoping for her to turn around for just one more glimpse. As I tell myself that something so horrible couldn't happen to our community, our little family, I'm reminded that 20 sets of parents in a small community probably always thought the same thing too.

My heart is broken for those who mourn.
I cling to my most precious gifts, and hope to never take them for granted.