Senseless tragedy

If anyone hasn't heard, there was a shooting at the Cracker Barrel in Brooklyn last night. A man shot and killed his wife and 11-year-old daughter, and their 10-year-old daughter is in the hospital. The police shot the man, but unfortunately they arrived too late to help his wife or daughters. The thing I'm thankful for is that no other customers or employees were shot. But it's so hard to make sense of tragedies like this. The man had a history of domestic violence, and so maybe the woman thought she would be safe if she told her husband she was leaving him while they were in a restaurant, hoping he wouldn't threaten or harm her publicly. It's incredibly sad and horrific that she was so wrong. And now there's that poor 10-year-old girl, who has lost her entire family, and in the most terrible way. I'm not sure how badly she's hurt, but assuming that she survives, I hope she has other relatives that are willing and able to take her in and give her the love and comfort (and counseling) she needs. I can think of several things that could have been done differently that might have prevented this outcome. But unfortunately what's done is done, and there is nothing to do now but pray for the girl and any family she has left.

It really makes you appreciate what you have and how good you have it when you hear stories like this. My husband and I have a loving, kind, and respectful relationship, and I can't imagine what that woman went through. And to die at her husband's hand, just when she thought she would be free of his abuse. It makes me want to cry. And it makes me want to rail against every person who abuses their spouse, significant other, or their children. I just pray that the surviving daughter gets the help she needs to break the cycle of abuse, because unfortunately abuse is the pattern she knows, and she will need healing and counseling to get out of that pattern. 

The surviving daughter is weighing on my heart, and I am moved to pray for her. If any of you reading this think of it, please pray for her. For her survival, physical healing, and emotional and mental healing, and for a secure and loving home.