Pray for Chippewa Falls

I want to tell you a story. It's a sad story about a little girl born into the worst of circumstances. Mom is addicted to drugs and a life of pain has left her with little regard to her own life, let alone the life of her little girl. Dad is in and out of jail, repeating the cycle of drug use and violence that his own brokenness has bred throughout his life. There is no love, no compassion, no mercy for this poor little girl. 

Child Protective Services tries their best to help this poor child, but with the overwhelming amount of drug use in the community, and the lack of foster homes for these displaced children, there is little they can do. They try to help, losing sleep over the sheer amount of things they can't do. Following protocols and regulations leaves their hands tied behind their backs with literally thousands of children struggling to survive in the system. 

There's a woman who has a heart and love for children. She wants to help in any way she can, so she takes the steps and is licensed to take in foster kids. She also runs a daycare out of her home, trying to make ends meet for her family as well as help other families looking for reliable care for their little ones. 

One day, the little girl is removed from the unsafe, unreliable, inconsistent, and violent home shes always known and is brought into this kind woman's care. She finds safety, love, compassion, and security. But, it will never be home. This woman will never be mom. The little girl yearns for her mom and dad to come pick her up and love her like she always deserved to be loved. Yet, they never come. 

One day, this confused and emotionally delayed girl does something unspeakable. Frightened, afraid of the consequences of what she's done, she tries with all her power to silence the moment. Making the unspeakable act into something so far beyond horrific. Something that can never be undone. Something that not only ends the life of an innocent, but essentially ends her own as well. 

There are so many people across the country looking at Chippewa Falls right now. They are looking through the scope of whatever news outlet and they are forming their own judgement of everyone involved. These tragic, and unimaginable acts have cut to the heart of everyone in our community. So many lives lost far too soon. When these tragedies occur, everyone wants to point their finger and cast their judgement, quickly forgetting their own faults and shortcomings.

“Refuse to be a critic full of bias toward others, and judgment will not be passed on you. 2 For you’ll be judged by the same standard that you’ve used to judge others. The measurement you use on them will be used on you. 3 Why would you focus on the flaw in someone else’s life and yet fail to notice the glaring flaws of your own? 4 How could you say to your friend, ‘Let me show you where you’re wrong,’ when you’re guilty of even more? 5 You’re being hypercritical and a hypocrite! First acknowledge your own ‘blind spots’ and deal with them, and then you’ll be capable of dealing with the ‘blind spot’ of your friend. 

- Matthew 7:1-5

That was Jesus' words. Don't judge others- no matter what. No matter if they get high and run their truck off the road into a bunch of precious beautiful little girls. No matter if they take the life of a baby, whether by accident or not. 

Don't misunderstand me. I believe justice should and will be served in these cases. They are atrocious and so many lives are destroyed because of these senseless deaths. I cannot fathom being the mother of any of these children. I can't imagine being the women left behind to care for her 6 year old grandson, because both her granddaughter and her daughter were killed. I can't imagine looking into my child's face and having to tell them that their baby brother will never come home. I can't imagine the aching feeling in the arms of the mother who will never hold her child again. 

It's unimaginable at best. It's something none of us want to think of, and most of us do everything in our power to avoid. 

But what about the mom who gets the call that her prodigal son has just been arrested for killing 4 people and almost killing a 5th? What about the mom who has been praying for her son to get clean and sober and start living again instead of smothering out his pain and his dreams with these drugs that consume him? What about the young man who was just trying to mask his brokenness and feel a little better? A quick high costs everyone involved. His life is essentially over now too. 

I assure you, regardless of what the courts deem an appropriate punishment, this kid will punish himself. Whatever pain he already has, has been dramatically multiplied. He has to live with what he has done. He has to walk around each day knowing that he killed these precious children. 

How about the daycare mom who was trying to help? She stepped outside and left the sleeping baby alone with this broken little girl. She came back in to a scene that nobody could expect or prepare for. She will live with these images in the back of her mind forever. She will lose sleep and maybe have to shut down her business, losing her livelihood as well. The little girl? She will spend her childhood either behind bars or in an institution because of the broken home she was born into. She never had a chance.   

I respect the legal system in our country and I respect the judge and jury that will be tasked with upholding the law and serving justice in these cases. I believe God when He says that He is in control of our courts.

Every person must submit to and support the authorities over him. For there can be no authority in the universe except by God’s appointment, which means that every authority that exists has been instituted by God. 

-Romans 13:1

What our community has endured over the last couple of weeks is atrocious and should have never happened. These families have been destroyed for no reason. It's awful and I have spent time on my knees crying out to the Lord for these lives lost and their families left behind. I have spent time angrily telling God that I don't want to pray for this man and little girl who did these terrible things. But, through gritted teeth I had to find a way to forgive them so God can serve His justice. I trust that God knows best how to handle these tragedies and He will somehow find a way to make beauty out of them. 

Isaiah 61 talks in great length about how God loves justice and is swift about carrying it out. How He is the only one who can take broken devastation and make it glorious. He is the only one who can take ashes and form something beautiful from it. We, as a community, need to stand together in solidarity for the families left behind mourning their children. But spreading hatred and spewing condemnation isn't helping anyone. The last thing we need is more brokenness. Isn't that was caused all this in the first place? Let's stand united as a people who treasure encouragement, hope, peace, and love. Let's leave the judgment to God and the courts.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? 

- James 4:11-12