A hard day at the office...

Yesterday, Andy was taking me to work for my ususal Saturday afternoon shift at the station when I noticed a church on Kingston Pike (Sequoyah Hills area) that I had never heard of. I even asked Andy if he had ever heard of Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (tvuuc.org). Thinking nothing else about it...I went on with my day.

I happen to wake up around 5:30 this morning and couldn't quite get back to sleep....and something came over me. I suddenly felt the need to say a small prayer. Nothing in particular...just to ask God for guidance and thank him for the blessings He has given me. I just feel like I needed a little sticky note prayer to get me up...nothing like my usual heart to heart. I look over at my sweet husband passed out with his hair sticking straight up and just feel relief to have someone in my life like him.

I go on to toss and turn and wait another 3 hours before I need to get up to do my usual Sunday shift. While driving to work, I happen to see a little bit of a backup on Kingston Pike. As I get closer, I see multiple police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, police tape surrounding the church that had sparked my curiousity literally the day before. I pick up my phone and immediately try calling the station to see if they know anything...no answer.

Our station is about a mile from this church. I rush in to see if anyone knew when I noticed some people were running around and hearing all these news feeds. Some man had opened fire during a children's production of Annie about 45 minutes before in the church. We carried all the news feed on the station during my shift. Our top news reporters are in...on a Sunday morning reporting on this horrible tragedy. I get a call from my boss telling me to cut broadcast in order to cover information...we are now national news. I flip to one of the national news channels and see our town being covered as I sit a mile from the scene. Now I am having to break in...and let me tell you...I had a VERY hard time. You get 6 different facts, people are coming in to tell more, and on top of that....I am fighting back tears. I stumble all over my words and just try to get through the break. My breaks are more solemn this day than any of the past 3 years at the station...and my prayers and thoughts are out.
Two people are confirmed dead, more are in critical condition...and innocent CHILDREN experienced, to what I can only identify as, a hate crime. Regardless in what the church may teach or stand for, regardless of anything...I still cannot understand why things like this happen...I'm just glad that it is over and pray for the children and the families suffering as I type away.