Thankful in Tragedy

We can consider how quickly we respond to the Lord in thankfulness and praise when we see Him move.  Perhaps it is something huge, even miraculous.  Maybe it's something that could be considered a small thing. But, through large and small, we can be attentive to the way that the Spirit works in, through, and around us. 

Here are some verses from Psalm 107 that contain some helpful reminders for us:

1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy...

The Psalmist then mentions the wandering of God's chosen people in the wilderness, stating:

6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Christina and Brett Clardy are thankful today - Christina is a teacher at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin.  Their teenage son, River, is a student.  Both are survivors of a shooting in December at that school that left three people dead and five injured, according to The Christian Post.  

Christina was in her classroom and took steps to protect the children in her classroom.  She told a local television station, WMTV, that she then connected with her daughters, and the three were concerned about River. Turns out he was severely injured and had been transported to the hospital with multiple wounds. 

The station's website quotes from Adam Brinkman, who is the medical director of pediatric trauma care at UW Health’s American Family Children’s Hospital. He said, "River was losing a lot of blood from injuries to his neck, to his throat, to his hip to his hand,” adding, “His skin color was very pale. His heart rate was very high. Blood pressure was very low. All the clinical signs that he was very close to dying.”

He had five surgeries and things were touch and go for a while. Christina said, “I was praying the whole time.”

Brett, his father, said it was over a week before he was convinced that River would make it.  But, even though his condition was life-threatening, he came out on the other side, and had to go through therapy to complete even routine tasks, such as swallowing, brushing his teeth and hair, and tying his shoes. 

His mom, Christina said: “River is a kid who is a perseverer. He’s a hard worker,” adding, “We believe that God is a huge part of his healing through natural means like through the body healing itself and through some things that you know aren’t explainable to us. But he is, he’s done better than he should have.” 

Forty-six days after entering the hospital, River was able to go home.  Brinkman counted 263 hospital staff members who were part of the healing process, and hospital employees lined the halls of the facility to send him off. 

Christina offered this perspective: “It’s important to give thanks for the good in our lives. And to recognize, you know, the good around us, like in the people in our community. When our circumstances aren’t good, those things, those are things that are good.... I do have moments where I’m like, I can’t believe he’s alive, you know? I’m just really grateful.”

In the midst of an unspeakable tragedy, here is an instance of finding the hand of God. It truly is unthinkable that someone would go into a school meaning to do harm, and when you consider this was a Christian school - a school representing the presence of Christ in this world - well, it hits close to home. But, as you would expect, there was faith demonstrated in response to River's being shot and almost losing his life.  

In the troubles of life, we can be inspired by Christina Clardy's example to keep praying; 1st Thessalonians 5 reminds us to pray without ceasing.  And, when we see the Lord do something in our lives or the lives of those around us, big or small, we should be quick to thank Him.  Growing in gratefulness can help us to appreciate and adore the Lord even more. 

We can also recognize that God will often surround us with other people to walk with us through a tough journey. And, when we have the opportunity, we can make the effort to say thanks. Our verbalization to the Lord about how grateful we are, as well as to people whom He used to produce an outcome for His glory, can help strengthen us and to remember in all things to recognize the presence of God who is with us and who is moving according to His purposes.