Too Close to Home

We've probably all encountered those "too close to home" events, news, etc. This week we learned news of two things that fit this category.

The first was about a man whom my family and I knew through our church when I was growing up. I stayed at his home with he and his wife (they never had any children) a couple times, often with other girls from my church. When I was an adult this man was accused of sexually abusing a child and was found guilty. He died in prison several years ago. I found out a few days ago through an odd set of "circumstances" that his abuse began when he was a Bible college student. It is a little disturbing to think that I stayed in the home of a pedophile (unkown to me, my church, my pastor, and my parentst), but yet all I can do is be thankful for God's protection for me and my dear friends.

The other news came yesterday. A few weeks ago there was a fatal hunting accident in our area - the only in our state. One of the ladies in my Bible study told us that her husband's two uncles were under investigation because they had both shot at deer and missed. They both used the same type of bullet. This past Wednesday she said they hadn't heard anything, so they were assuming it wasn't them. Unfortunately it was. The man whose shot killed the hunter (and father of two young children) is actually a member of our church. His bullet traveled 500 to 600 yards through brush and a swampy area before striking the man in the shoulder, going through his lung, and hitting his spine. The odds of this happening are mind boggling. Although no criminal charges are being brought against this man, the family is planning to bring a wrongful death suit against him. It is hopeful that he will not be found guilty of any wrongdoing, but just the costs of defending himself could ruin him financially. Also, we live in rural America and news travels fast. Many people are intertwined through marriage, friends, work, church, etc. so it is highly probably that his name will get out to the public even though the paper did not name him. Please pray for him, his wife (who is unsaved), and also for the family who lost their loved one at such a young age.

These are the type of things you read in the paper or hear on the news, but never expect to come to your back door. It is easy to wonder "why?" as the ladies in my Bible study and I studied about this past week. We can and should only focus our eyes on the Lord and trust Him in every circumstance in our lives.