Wow, this past few days have been intense. It was a usual Monday. I got out of my first class and was on the way to my 2nd around 9:45 with Jorgen, one of my best friends down here when we ran into our other buddy before leaving the building. He told us that a girl had been a shot in the dorm right next to mine earlier at 7:15 that morning and that there were hundreds of police outside who just told him to run. It was about 9:45 when we walked out the door of Torgerson Hall to the scream of sirens and the sight of officers with pistols ready and snipers crouching behind big white SUV’s outside Norris Hall. We sat there and watched for a few minutes until we saw a pack of fully armored SWAT officers move around the side of the building when we decided to get back inside the building as soon as they locked us down. We all whipped out our laptops to try to see what the heck was going on- all of us were checking the major news networks while IMing our friends & getting phone calls from others. We looked out the window and saw hundreds of people running with their hands above their heads from evacuated buildings. It was like a war zone out there. Scary. I thank God that I was safe in Torgerson and that he’s blessed me with three other solid Christian brothers to wait out this storm with.
We prayed hard for peace in the campus as we kept getting reports of the counts. First there was one confirmed death, then 1 death and 8 injuries from people jumping out of windows. We quickly brushed this all off as people panicking and calling in irrational reports to the media. But we prayed that God would make the shooter (or shooters…we didn’t know) drop the guns, end the violence, and restore peace to campus. They later evacuated the building we were in around noon and told us to go back to our dorms. We turned on CNN as more reports came in.
There was still only 1 confirmed death, and 7-8 injuries at this point.
Then 7-8 deaths. We still didn’t believe the reports… had to be mass panic.
Then 10 deaths.
Then the police commissioner came on and said there were at least 20
Then 23
All in the span of 15 minutes
We were shocked, horrified, and numb. A bunch of guys from my hall came into my room & we all prayed again that God would stop the violence and restore peace, and that the death count wouldn’t go any higher.
It did.
It kept growing throughout the day.
33
My God, My God. 33.
Numb is the only word to explain it.
We kept watching the news as they repeated the same story over and over. And over the rest of that day it started to sink in how much God had protected me and my friends that day. The first shooting was at 7:15 in a dorm literally 100 yards away from mine. I stood outside a few hundred feet away from Norris hall as the gunman opened up in the classrooms. There is one major path across the drill field between those two buildings, and both the gunman and I walked along it that morning.
My brother, Ben, walked behind Norris hall and heard a bang bang bang but figured it was a guy hammering some metal thing in the nearby construction site because there were well over 20 bangs in a row.
My brother, Dan, had a class in Norris that morning but had stayed up the night before working on homework until 7AM, and decided to take a nap before heading off for his 9AM class. He overslept his alarm until 11. Thank the Lord.
My brother, Micah, was in a class in Norris when this all went down. He and a few other classmates barricaded the door. The gunman shot through the barricade 4 times. They all missed Micah. Thank the Lord.
There were so many “maybe’s” and “almost’s” that day. And I thank God for all of them. His hand of protection was so evident on so many people that day- that while we mourned the worst gun disaster in the U.S. history, we also thanked and praised our Father for the grace, mercy, and guiding hand he had shown us all.
Later that night- a bunch of us from IV and other campus ministries got together to pray and comfort one another. We were all united as one body in prayer and in awe of our God. We were hurt. We told God that. We comforted each other. I don’t think I’ve gotten so many hugs ever before in my life. There were tears. There was mourning, and we stood on the promises of God.
Jeremiah 31
10 "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: 'He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.'
11 For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD— the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.
13 Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty," declares the LORD.
Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
We all began to realize something together. For a few weeks leading up to Monday, a bunch of leaders among the other ministries had been feeling that something was out of alignment. Stuff felt off in a spiritual sense. In the last few weeks, my discipler, Jon, had been feeling that something massive was on its way, and that it was good. Very Very Very good. God was about to work in completely unfathomable ways through our campus and we were so exited for it to come.
The Devil shelled out quite a beating on Monday.
But he’s only the Devil.
Our God is an awesome, sovereign, untouchably powerful God. He loves us and we love him.
Imagine what he’s gonna do through all this.
I grantee you that you can’t.
However horrible Monday was- God is going to bless us with something better. And he’s promised us a double portion. While the horrors that took place on Monday were not of the Lord, the healing and love that is following certainly is. This campus is growing so much closer. There is a whole lot of love for each other. The Church is growing closer. I’ve gotten at least 200 emails, facebook posts, and texts from people wishing me well. My parents have gotten at least 100 phone calls letting them know you all care & are praying. Multiply that my the 28,000 kids that go to VT. Intervarsity has been getting emails from almost every other chapter in the country, letting us know that they are praying for us. Every church, every campus ministry, and nearly every Christian in this country and the world is lifting this campus up in prayer.
Praise God.
We prayed hard for peace in the campus as we kept getting reports of the counts. First there was one confirmed death, then 1 death and 8 injuries from people jumping out of windows. We quickly brushed this all off as people panicking and calling in irrational reports to the media. But we prayed that God would make the shooter (or shooters…we didn’t know) drop the guns, end the violence, and restore peace to campus. They later evacuated the building we were in around noon and told us to go back to our dorms. We turned on CNN as more reports came in.
There was still only 1 confirmed death, and 7-8 injuries at this point.
Then 7-8 deaths. We still didn’t believe the reports… had to be mass panic.
Then 10 deaths.
Then the police commissioner came on and said there were at least 20
Then 23
All in the span of 15 minutes
We were shocked, horrified, and numb. A bunch of guys from my hall came into my room & we all prayed again that God would stop the violence and restore peace, and that the death count wouldn’t go any higher.
It did.
It kept growing throughout the day.
33
My God, My God. 33.
Numb is the only word to explain it.
We kept watching the news as they repeated the same story over and over. And over the rest of that day it started to sink in how much God had protected me and my friends that day. The first shooting was at 7:15 in a dorm literally 100 yards away from mine. I stood outside a few hundred feet away from Norris hall as the gunman opened up in the classrooms. There is one major path across the drill field between those two buildings, and both the gunman and I walked along it that morning.
My brother, Ben, walked behind Norris hall and heard a bang bang bang but figured it was a guy hammering some metal thing in the nearby construction site because there were well over 20 bangs in a row.
My brother, Dan, had a class in Norris that morning but had stayed up the night before working on homework until 7AM, and decided to take a nap before heading off for his 9AM class. He overslept his alarm until 11. Thank the Lord.
My brother, Micah, was in a class in Norris when this all went down. He and a few other classmates barricaded the door. The gunman shot through the barricade 4 times. They all missed Micah. Thank the Lord.
There were so many “maybe’s” and “almost’s” that day. And I thank God for all of them. His hand of protection was so evident on so many people that day- that while we mourned the worst gun disaster in the U.S. history, we also thanked and praised our Father for the grace, mercy, and guiding hand he had shown us all.
Later that night- a bunch of us from IV and other campus ministries got together to pray and comfort one another. We were all united as one body in prayer and in awe of our God. We were hurt. We told God that. We comforted each other. I don’t think I’ve gotten so many hugs ever before in my life. There were tears. There was mourning, and we stood on the promises of God.
Jeremiah 31
10 "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: 'He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.'
11 For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD— the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more.
13 Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty," declares the LORD.
Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed."
10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
We all began to realize something together. For a few weeks leading up to Monday, a bunch of leaders among the other ministries had been feeling that something was out of alignment. Stuff felt off in a spiritual sense. In the last few weeks, my discipler, Jon, had been feeling that something massive was on its way, and that it was good. Very Very Very good. God was about to work in completely unfathomable ways through our campus and we were so exited for it to come.
The Devil shelled out quite a beating on Monday.
But he’s only the Devil.
Our God is an awesome, sovereign, untouchably powerful God. He loves us and we love him.
Imagine what he’s gonna do through all this.
I grantee you that you can’t.
However horrible Monday was- God is going to bless us with something better. And he’s promised us a double portion. While the horrors that took place on Monday were not of the Lord, the healing and love that is following certainly is. This campus is growing so much closer. There is a whole lot of love for each other. The Church is growing closer. I’ve gotten at least 200 emails, facebook posts, and texts from people wishing me well. My parents have gotten at least 100 phone calls letting them know you all care & are praying. Multiply that my the 28,000 kids that go to VT. Intervarsity has been getting emails from almost every other chapter in the country, letting us know that they are praying for us. Every church, every campus ministry, and nearly every Christian in this country and the world is lifting this campus up in prayer.
Praise God.
