A different kind of "talk"

I had a conversation today that I never thought I would have. While driving Linda, Pedro and Miguel to After-School (Bonita was at home, sick) we talked about what the best response was for them if they are caught in gun crossfire. I have heard of families talking to their kids about what to do in case of fire or medical emergency and the typical "don't talk to strangers"...but never have I heard parents tell their kids how to handle gun fire. But, today that became necessary.

Just minutes before Pedro got home from school, an 11 year old boy walking down the street (the same street Pedro lives on) was caught in gun crossfire and was killed. Pedro walked past the scene after the shooting ended, but in enough time to see the dead body of the 11 year old boy. Pedro is 11 himself.

The shooting didn't make the evening news because another shooting, only 2 blocks away from the first, occurred later and it involved gunfire from the police so it was more "high profile". It still blows my mind that these kids are growing up in a neighborhood where the shooting death of an 11 year old boy is not the biggest news of the day.

For a while it didn't seem like Pedro was too upset about what he saw...but he's a pretty sensitive guy that keeps things in...deep in. I tried to talk to him throughout the rest of the day but he didn't say much, until the car ride home after Kids Club. He started to ask me questions about God and how He could let something like that happen. I have been telling him for years that he doesn't need to be afraid because God will always protect him, but why didn't God protect the boy who was shot?

How do you answer that question for an 11 year old? Its the same question, in different form, that I have been asking myself recently...

So, we talked about how there is sin in the world, and because there is sin, bad things will happen to us. The reason we never have to be afraid is not because God will make sure bad things will never happen to us, but because no matter what happens to us, God will always be with us. If something happens and we do end up dying, we know where we are going and we will be with God forever. If we don't die, God will be with us to help us through pain and hard times. God will never leave us.

Pedro seemed to accept that answer and was comforted by the idea that God is always with him. He and I also talked about how we can see that God is protecting Pedro. This is the 2nd shooting in the last few months to happen right outside his house. Both times he (or Miguel) could have very easily been walking by and gotten caught in the crossfire, but they weren't. God is protecting them.

I have to admit that this whole thing has me scared. The thought of Pedro (or any of my other kids) getting caught in gunfire terrifies me. The thought of losing them...

It also made me so sad to think about what these kids are growing up in the middle of. Last week the big news up here was about 2 teachers being beat up in school by angry students. One teacher had several vertebrae broken and has to wear a halo drilled into his scalp to heal. Today there were 2 major shootings in Pedro's neighborhood...2 in the same day. I grew up with trees and mountains, these kids are growing up with fights, weapons, dead bodies, bloodied side walks, and body bags. They legitimately fear being killed by gunfire, something that never crossed my mind as a kid.

It would be so easy to say that this neighborhood has no hope. More often than I am willing to admit, I think about taking these kids out of here for good and not looking back. But, I trust that God is not only taking care of these kids, but He is raising them up to be a part of the change this neighborhood will go through. I know He wants to do something amazing in Kensington, and I don't think it is a coincidence that Pedro has been so protected from the things around him. Same with Miguel, Bonita, Linda...and many other kids. He is raising up this next generation to draw people back to Him. Pray that they survive.