Lockdown!

As I was walking my 8 year old (Bear) to the playground at school this morning there was a sudden, urgent message overhead announcing that students were to stay away from the playground and go directly to their classrooms. The scene around us quickly became chaotic, kids running everywhere and adults whispering the word "lockdown" all around me. I get Bear to his class, the door is locked, we knock, the teacher opens the door, smiles at me oddly, pulls Bear in and shuts the door. Yeah, I was a little freaked out. So Bear is "safe" from whatever threat there is out there but my 6 year old (Monkey), my baby girl (Gatorbaby) and I are left standing out in the open! I wasn't sure what to do, my instinct was to knock on the door of Bear's class, smile oddly at the teacher, grab my son BACK and get the heck out of dodge! I calmed myself and quickly reasoned that since the instuctions were only to the students there probably wasn't a crazy gunman rampaging around. At least I HOPE the school would help protect the parents and siblings as well as it's students! Even though I figured it most likely wasn't the worst case senerio I was still uneasy and the situation was still not just a little bit scary.

So with our kids locked away in their classrooms all of us parents are aimlessly wandering around the campus with a confused look on our faces asking each other and any staff member we can find "Do you know what's going on?" Finally, I ran into a teacher who said a student had fallen on the playground they wanted all the kids out of the way so the paramedics could get through easily. Whew! I felt momentary relief and I started walking a bit dazed towards the car but then I started thinking too much had to fight of the "what ifs". I found myself getting very angry at those little Columbine boogers and the Virginia Tech guy, that latest shooter in Indiana and every other crazy person who has shot up a campus. Of all places, schools should be safe. How dare ANYONE, mentally ill or not attack something as innocent as an institution of learning. How awful that our ELEMENTRY schools have to have a "Lockdown Policy and Procedures". I guess I should take comfort that the school is prepared but the whole experience honestly makes me want to homeschool my kids. I know, I know you can't protect them forever but they haven't even lost all of their baby teeth yet! So I pondered the mornings events for a while and I have resolved that covering my children and their school with prayer is the only thing, and frankly the best thing, I can do to protect them and save my sanity.

Heavenly Father, protect Bear and Monkey at school today. May Your hand be on them and your angels guard their schools. And may your loving Hand also be on those who are making plans to bring violence to any school or public place. Please let the proper authorites be made aware of their plans and keep them from harming anyone. In Christ's name, Amen.