Beautiful stories from a horrific tragedy...

I came across an article this evening about Ana Marquez-Greene. Ana was one of the 20 students murdered last Friday in the Newtown mass shooting. The article shares about the little girl, her brother, and her family as a whole. They are a family with a very strong faith in God. The parents said this about their daughter, "Ana loved her God, loved to read the Bible, and loved to sing and dance as acts of worship." The video below shows Ana and her brother, singing a hymn of praise to their Heavenly Father. 

Seeing these types of articles and videos allows us to get to know the children better. It helps us to sympathize with the families more. It also helps us to focus on the lives instead of the tragedy. While hearing that precious voice singing, I can imagine this sweet little girl worshiping her Heavenly Father while sitting on His lap. 

Matthew 19:14 says, "Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Today I am thankful that Jesus welcomed Ana and her classmates into Heaven with open arms. They are walking on streets of gold and enjoying all the blessings Heaven has to offer. Although it is sad that this little life, and so many others, were cut short, it is such a gift to truly know to that these children are with Jesus! I am also thankful for these beautiful stories that are beginning to  be told. This was a horrific tragedy but if we keep our eyes open, we will be able to see beauty in the ashes.