Go Ahead and Try to Stop Me

Notes:  There are few things I want to tell you about Jace and about what my family is going through.  Some things I can say now, some things will have to wait until later. 

Cody Sartin plead not guilty to first degree murder, and the preliminary hearing has been set for August 10^th.

A few times in my life I have felt like I stood in the presence of greatness.  The governor came and had lunch with me at school when I was 16.  I touched Oral Robert’s head once when I sat behind him in the Mabee Center (just to say I did it). I met the mom of Rachel Scott who stood up for Jesus during the Columbine shootings.  I got the thumb print autograph of one of the men who killed the missionary Jim Elliot and later became a believer in God.  I went to a New Kids on the Block Concert when I was 12.  All of those were trumped today by an 8 year old girl. 

I am friends with the grandma and mom of the Broken Arrow Angel, a little girl who was kidnapped and sexually abused three years ago.  This family has shown amazing strength and dignity in the midst of this nightmare, and I have respected their faith and perseverance.  Today, I was in the court room with them when the man who did this was sentenced to six life sentences plus 40 something yearsfor what he did to this little girl.  Everyone was nervous when the little girl got up to read her statement to the judge and the perpetrator.  She didn’t look nervous at all.  She looked powerful.  I wish I could accurately describe the way the girl stood up, read her statement, and with the last sentence, looked directly at the man who hurt her and said with stern determination, “I'm going to be what God wants me to be and nothing's stopping me, especially you!”

It was so freaking awesome.  I wanted to stand up and clap, but no one else did, so I cried instead.  This family  didn’t let what happened destroy them.  They fought back.  They are overcoming.  They are letting good come from evil.  What you do when you’re handed something awful in life is your choice.  Whether someone in your family is killed, you get diagnosed with cancer, you lose your job, or your baby wakes you up at 4 am every morning, you decide what you do next. 

When your family member gets murdered, you can run to God or away from him.  I’m running to him.

When your family member gets murdered, you can you can let your anger consume you, or you can let it fuel you.  My anger will result in lives being saved. 

When your family member gets murdered, you can stop living too , or you can live your life so that it honors his memory.  I plan to make Jace shine. 

When your family member gets murdered, you can hate, or you can forgive.  I’m going to find a way to forgive, because if I don’t it will hurt me more than it will hurt him.  I won’t let him hurt me again.

(You can insert your own bad thing for ‘when your family member gets murdered.’)

I feel like I have had more than my fair share of bad things happen to me in my life.  I’ll give you the list later.  But today I want to look Satan in the eye and say,

I'm going to be what God wants me to be

and nothing's stopping me, especially you!

I’m glad I have such wonderful role models in this little girl’s family.  I’m humbled by their strength and courage.  I’ll post her entire statement below.  She deserves to be heard and honored.  The family reads this blog.  Tell them you’re proud of them too. 

Statement:

You need to respect your punishment,

that was a bad thing you did.

I don't want you hurting anybody else

that's why you should be in jail forever,

so accept it.

God made you but you are not like God's person,

you are the devil's person.

You should have been on God's side

and this would never have happened.

Back then I was the little angel fish

and you were the great white shark.

Now I'm the great white shark

and you're the little clown fish.

I'm going to forget all about you

and go on with my life how I want it to be

without any bad person stopping me.

I was only five years old, now I'm eight.

I'm going to be what God wants me to be

and nothing's stopping me, especially you!