*Today’s post comes from a beautiful reflection in the Be Still Devotional written by Lisa Brenninkmeyer. You can continue to follow along with these daily devotions on the Hallow app or by purchasing a copy of Lisa’s book through her organization Walking With Purpose.

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.”

Matthew 2:16

Herod had paid attention to prophecies of Jesus’ birth, but instead of responding with worship, he felt threatened by this Jewish king. When the wise men didn’t tell him who or where the baby was, Herod had all the male children in Bethlehem and in that region age two years old and under murdered.

The Catholic Church remembers the loss of these precious children on December 28, the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents.

It’s a horrific scene to imagine, and something we might want to turn away from. Focusing on the massacre of babies, most especially during this time of year, is the opposite of bringing Christmas cheer.

But the Church insist that we not look away.

Today, the number of people killed through genocide, gun violence, and abortion rises higher than that of the massacre of Bethlehem, and what we are encouraged to remember in all these cases is that each and every one of these souls matter to God.

Their lives are not forgotten.

Things that go unnoticed or are hidden from the world are seen by God.

There is no sorrow He does not see.

Psalm 56:8 says that He holds all our tears in a bottle. When we are raw and hurting, God doesn’t turn away. This is true on a personal and global level. Where there is pain, God leans in. He is present and marks the loss, the injustice, the wrongdoing.

In the moment when we wail, “God, why don’t You do something?” He is at work redeeming the very things that the enemy intended to destroy us. But in order for God’s work to be done – for beauty to come from the ashes – we have to open our hearts and cooperate with Him.

There is nothing He cannot restore, but He is a gentleman and will not force His way into our lives.

If we will pray, “Lord, have Your way with me,” then He promises to transform even the most tragic circumstances into something that brings us good, not harm.

Dear Lord, You are the potter, I am the clay. I don’t know why You allow certain things to intersect my life, but I long to be molded into the masterpiece that You know I can be. So bend me, mold me, make me, move me. May my will be totally united with Yours. Amen.

hugs n’ blessings for the tears He wipes away.