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A nation in mourning

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Inspiration

By: Don Lindsey.

I had planned to make today’s column about an area organization that rescues cats and the lady who started the business. However, the events in Las Vegas last Sunday have me changing my direction. With 58 dead and hundreds more injured, our nation has once again found itself in a state of mourning, and I for one am wondering how many more need to lose their lives before we see that we’re the only ones who can stop these senseless acts of violence.

No, I’m not talking about gun control. I’ve never been a “gun person,” but I don’t believe that firearms are the issue. Cain killed Abel with a rock, so in my opinion, we can ban all guns but if people want to carry out acts of evil, they will. For me, guns are not the weapons of concern. Hatred, division, and a self-absorbed way of looking at the world are our most significant issues, and unless we start being honest with each other and ourselves, they will be our downfall.

We’re so divided over political, and personal differences that we keep missing our opportunity to live up to the potential that God had in mind when he created us. This mindset has been the background of many of my columns, but in all honesty, I’m starting to see that as a society, we seem too driven by our own needs to grasp the damage we're creating.

And I can confess that I have the same issues. I’ve been so caught up in myself that I genuinely am not sure who I am anymore. When I experience those self-centered moments, it’s hard to see anything else. I believe we’re all wired that way in some regard, but the answer to getting out of that mindset is simple.

Just look around you.

When we take a couple of minutes to force ourselves to look outside of our own lives, we see the people around us that we love. For me looking at my kids this week has brought fear of the future they are being raised to live in, but it’s also given me a glimmer of hope that the next generation will see the power in unity and in that discovery will reduce, if not end the suffering we inflict on ourselves. Another thing that has given me hope is the stories coming out of the Las Vegas massacre of people rallying around one another to get through the shooting. The many acts of heroism that have been reported show the resolve that human beings have when under direst. Why is that important? For me, it’s because an example of how much we can do when we care about helping those around us. Instead of being paralyzed by the fear of losing their own life, so many abandoned that fear and put helping those in need at the top of their priority list. Now if we could just find a way to use that same situational awareness to help all the time instead of only when there is a tragedy, I believe that we could prevent the type of killings that we see unfold in our country.

I don’t claim to have all of the answers. I do not even have my own life figured out, but what I do know is that unless we find a way to come together quickly, instead of continually fighting amongst ourselves, then we will continue to be a nation in mourning.

 

 

Don Lindsey is a follower of Christ, son, husband, father, and a survivor. Originally from Dayton Ohio, and resident of Apopka for six years, Don sees his life as a dedication to his wife, parents, children, and community.

Don Lindsey, Inspiration

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