Thankful Thursday

"Let your hope make you glad.  Be patient in a time of trouble and never stop praying."

~ Romans 12:12

Today my heart is heavy.  I woke this morning to a news feed filled the hashtag #CharlestonShooting.  Last night a domestic terrorist took it upon himself to enter Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina where he sat with churchgoers for an hour in a Bible study class before then getting up and opening fire on them.  Nine people were killed in total.  Why did he open fire on these people?  According to him, the Black community is a threat.

It's not as if this incident is anything new.  We've seen innocent Black lives taken time and time again just because others feel like we are a threat or danger.  Black churches have been the targets of domestic terrorism here in America before as well.  There have been and still are many individuals out here in the world who believe that being Black is a crime and it's their responsibility to correct/solve this problem.  Many want to point the finger at us and say that we are what's wrong with the world and therefore must be eliminated by any means necessary.

I can't even begin to express how outraged, brokenhearted and angry I am right now.  It's not fair for anyone of any race, gender or religious background to attempt to play God and decide that a specific group of people don't deserve to exist just because those people are different from you.  We ALL have a right to life.  The Charleston Shooting really hit close to home for me because Charleston is one of my favorite places to visit in my home state.  I have both family and friends who live there.  

The fear and frustration that they must be feeling over this senseless act of violence is unimaginable.  To once again be reminded that none of us are safe anywhere including the House of God leaves me at a loss of words.  I have to admit I was on pins and needles earlier when this terrorist was still at large.  And to have him found less than an hour from my home shook me up even more. 

YUMMs this is not the Thankful Thursday post I thought I'd be writing to y'all today.  While my heart is in mourning like so many others, I am grateful that the person responsible for these killings has been caught.  Who knows what else he might have done had he not been taken into custody?  I'm grateful for everyone who had a hand in helping the authorities catch him.

Lastly, I'm thankful for my faith and having this space as an outlet to help me get through times like this.  I will not let dark times or evil deeds diminish my hope or harden my heart.  I greatly value the community that I have here and I do try to be as sensitive and responsible with my words as I can when discussing and venting about emotional issues.  In closing I urge everyone reading this to just send up a word a prayer and then make the effort to find ways that you can be proactive in helping to fight help the injustices that are happening right in our own backyards.  There is no such thing as perfection, but with everyone making the effort to do their part we can make our communities better than what they are!

What you are thankful for this week?  How do you remain hopeful during times of darkness?