When I was five years old, Columbine happened; I don’t remember when I learned about it, but what it taught me was that this was the reality I could expect for being a Christian. When 9/11 happened two years later, my seven-year-old takeaway was surprisingly cynical, even founded on sensationalism: “Well, what did you expect? Someone was bound to think of it sooner or later.” Whether correct or not, these events told me that 1) disaster is how life normally works, and 2) as a Christian, you die for your faith. Being from a loving family environment, I was protected from a lot of controversy, both religious and non, largely out of simple childhood naïveté, but also because God had given me the natural gift of being what my sister calls the “sunshine child” in the face of tragedy. Having never suffered bereavement myself, but having known many people who have, I’ve been able to keep the stamina I’ve watched so many people lose experiencing things I’d always expected, but never experienced myself. So now, with the world falling apart and so much happening, I have certainty that the Holy Spirit Himself is the one fueling me with the energy I need through all circumstances; because clearly that energy is for their sake, not mine, and it’s not just “staying positive,” but pushing forward through the dark (carrying people is heavy). So, what do I do in the face of death and destruction? Smile and keep running forward!