Innocent lives trapped in a war

Part of me dreds pushing the app for the Chicago Tribune that I have kept on my phone to keep up with what's going on in my city. "Man charged for slaying," "Man charged in fatal shooting," "South Side teen killed two days before freshman orientation," "Woman shot dead on Dan Ryan, year after teen brother was killed," "2 dead, 10 hurt in shootings on South, West sides," 82 shot over the fouth of July weekend. On Monday Chicago reached it's 200th killing, that's just the ones who didn't make it. My heart aches. Each day I hold my breath praying that its not one of my babies. When we look at these numbers its easy to dismiss it as gang violence but what isn't being talked about are the innocent lives caught in the middle. I think of my weekend camping with my little girls and one of the first comments they made about the weekend was how for once they didn't have to fear being shot. These are 11 year old little girls who should be playing dolls, or Barbies, or hanging out with their friends, not questioning if their next trip to the playground will cost them their lives. The statement "If I grow up I want to be..." haunts me. I do not even know where to begin or what to do, all I can do is desperately cry out to God and ask him to come. I will not give up, my God is the God of transformation and redemption, the God of restoration and I am pleading for Him to take over this city.