Remembering Marathon Monday

The kids and I went to the Boston Public Library last week.  And right in front of it, is the site of the Boston Marathon finish line.  

My heart stood still as I recalled that fateful afternoon that was supposed to be a fun-family day for the city.  I am usually not interested in marathons and have no desire to run one.... but I did have a fleeting thought that day (that lasted exactly 1 second) that *maybe* it might be fun for us to all go watch... since our home is only 3.1 miles away from Boylston street, where the finish line is.  

But alas, little Evan was sick.  Coughing, congestion, fever, hacking sick.  

We not only had to cancel a playdate that morning, but the thought of venturing out at all was soon doomed.  

We stayed home, rested, took a nap.  At 3pm, Edwin woke me up and told me that I had a lot of text messages.  

"Are you safe?" "Are you home?" 

I turned on the TV. And the rest was history.  Those were images that I will never forget.  

This past week, we finally saw the finish-line in person. My heart is just so grieved.  

Tragedies happen daily and all over the world.  But with sensational media, we've become almost hardened to it.  (Terrible, I know.)  But when it's so, so close to home.... it makes me remember again that life is fragile.  Only God knows the number of my days.  And I'm reminded of Psalms 39, which resonated so much with me.  (It was my favorite Psalms my freshmen year of college -- during the time when I felt empty and trying to find purpose for my life.)

Show me, Lord, my life’s end,

and the number of my days;

let me know how fleeting my life is.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

the span of my years is as nothing before you.

But now, Lord, what do I look for?

My hope is in you.

Psalms 39:4-7

(Photos above: from my cell phone)