Pray for Knoxville

As many of you probably already know, another incident of a school shooting happened in Knoxville. Our friend, Tim Guthrie, pastors in Knoxville and actually had two of his sons in school when this occurred. We are reprinting his viewpoint below of the events that occurred and we are asking that you pray for God to do a mighty work in the Knoxville area.

This morning I left Knoxville around 4: 45AM heading for Houston for two days of ministry. Around 7:20AM I called both of my sons to wish them a good day and say those all too needed words: I love you!

As I entered the security at Nashville Airport, my phone began to ring over and over again as it waited to go through the screener. A TSA agent handed it too me when I told him that that name on the screen was my wife and I had spoken with her several min. prior and she knew I was going into the security process so it was odd for her to just keep calling. When I answered I discovered that a shooting had just taken place at my oldest sons High School – T (as we call him) is a Sophomore. Heidi was letting me know that she and T were safe before I saw it on the monitors at the airport, which when I looked up – there it was.

I cannot describe the emotions and relief, the panic, and the thankfulness that all hit at the same time. My phone immediately went into vibrate orbit as text messages from staff and friends began to pour in. T was safe and my youngest son Nathan was in lock down down the road at his Middle School.

The emails and text messages confirmed that it was not “mass” in size and that the shooter was in custody. One boy was dead. Hundreds of others had been shielded from worse. It was bad, yet not as bad as it could have been. Pray for the two to three families involved. It is tragic and more.

I made the decision after speaking with T and Heidi to continue on with the schedule. It was the most difficult flight ever. Yet God knew. I sat next to a Grandmother and her granddaughter out for a week long trip together (the girl is 4). She attends church in Florida at an SBC church. Across the isle was a Deacon from a church in Nashville. GOD WAS TAKING CARE OF ME!

I spoke with T and Heidi throughout the day and am still amazed at what God was doing and how He was working. I just finished speaking with him again as he has several friends at our house hanging out and spending the night – their homes are not peaceful nor answer generating and T asked them over. What a guy! Now he and Heidi are talking with parents and students that yesterday would not have occured.

The silly STUFF of today’s arguments and watered down approaches to church and ministry faded as the day passed. God kept saying over and over again – DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE – SHARE ME WITH EVERYONE!

I end the day with that as my priority and passion, thanking God for his protection over my family. It was a day NO parent wants to experience! It was a day that only God can get you through.

WE ARE THE ONES TO SHARE JESUS – LET”S MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING IT! Nothing else matters – NOTHING! Please God, may we be found FAITHFUL!