For as long as I can remember, Roseburg Oregon has been a quiet little town, no more than a dot on a map to most, a place few had ever heard of. Our community rests in the midst of wild forests, sprawling ranches, and small farms, a place with old time values, close-knit families, and friendly neighbors. It is a community where people know one another and you can't go into town without running into a friend or two. And when a siren screams we pray for the hurting and the EMT's who will help. And we pray that the person in need is not someone we love too deeply.
Yesterday a great evil came to our small town. How could it have only been yesterday? How could such an unspeakable tragedy strike here? This was a place of safety ... or so we thought.
My husband and I were traveling when we got the news. The notice popped up on my Facebook page and I thought it must be a mistake. Soon I knew the truth. People were dead, underserving of such a fate. Others were injured and being air-lifted to hospitals. Lives were shattered. Stories of courage and heroism emerged. Our quiet hamlet was forever changed. But, oh, what an incredible community is Douglas County. We are struggling, but we shall prevail.
We need to talk about why this happened and what we should do about it, but not today. Today we mourn. We pray. We lift one another up. And we take one step forward - and then one step more. That is what we do here in our small town of Roseburg. And not just here, but across this exceptional and courageous country. I don't care what the naysayers proclaim ... America is special.
Today I have no answers, but I am assured that we will overcome. And we won't do it alone. I am certain that God is still in control, and He is a good and loving God who conquers evil.
We gather together - we are not alone. I pray for my family, my friends, my community, my home. I love you all. Love one another.
Grace and peace to you from God,
Bonnie
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