FIRST RESPONDERS -- PAYTON, 5-YEARS-OLD, ACCIDENTALLY MURDERED

On Wednesday, January 15, gang members were fighting, driving around and about, and shooting.  Suddenly, when Payton was eating breakfast with the rest of her family, a bullet came through the window and hit her.  Her mom rushed out to take her to a hospital, but bullets had flattened her car's tires, too.  Couldn't go anywhere quickly enough.  Ambulance and police arrived.  But just a few minutes later, Payton died.

The first murder in Omaha of 2014 turned out to be a 5-year-old pretty little girl.

Thursday, from 5:00 to 6:00, nearly 200 people were not far from her home, and praying, sharing, turning around and about to the Lord, over and over again. Some were First Responders.  Some were obviously family and friends, or neighbors.   It was a very, very windy [50 mph], and cold time.  Usually, our First Responders murder-site group would be much smaller, including family and friends. This time many had come. What a blessing!

Our mayor came.  She has arrived at First Responders before or sent someone to represent her.  Well, she didn't send anyone else this time.  She came, she spoke.  She's a strong Christian, so her heart reaches out to so many who are in any need.

Other leaders and general people were there, including me, and we all left about 6:00.

It was too dark and windy for me to take a photo of the stuffed animals, candles, and other gifts piled in front of the house across the street.  I decided that on Thursday morning, I would drive over there and do it.  So, in the morning, I was sitting at my desk, thinking that I'd go fairly soon, maybe a little in the afternoon, and suddenly I felt the Lord tap me and tell me to "go now".  So, shortly before noon, even though I hadn't finished drinking my tea, and reading some FB messages, I quickly left.  Payton's home is only about a mile from where I live.

I parked on the street very near the house.  I went to the pile of stuffed animals, and candles, and balloons, and everything else, and I straightened some pieces that had been blown around a bit.  I took several photos.

Shortly thereafter,  I saw a car stop across the street.  Two men got out and came to me and asked me what I was doing.  Turned out they were from  KMTV.  For several minutes they talked to me, asked me questions about me, and interviewed me re: First Responders.  When I was leaving I was told I would be on their news at 6:00.  I was pretty surprised.  All I could think was that the Lord had sent me there right then for this reason.

When the news hit, and family and friends and fund raising was part of the couple minutes, I suddenly was about 3 seconds right in the middle of it.  What a surprise!  I can't pull up the news to show you, but this is what I said:

"...so we can pray for the neighbors, so we can pray for the family. We can walk around the neighborhood and try to turn people's hearts in the right direction."

The memorial service is next Thursday.  I truly hope the Lord can break through more and more of the broken hearts.  All I can count on... all WE can ever count on... is our Heavenly Father.  AND, as on one of my posts about Payton on Thursday, this is the only joyful portion:

THE ONLY GOOD THING, AT THE MOMENT, IS KNOWING PAYTON IS IN HEAVEN, NO PAIN, NO SORROW, SEEING FAMILY AND FRIENDS, HOLDING HANDS WITH ANGELS AND WITH JESUS.