Two days ago I climbed up a local mountain with girls I have known since the first day of their Fourth Grade year when they walked into my classroom and they have been blowing me away since then.  We've added a couple new girls to the group: equally fierce and hungry and when we all climbed that mountain together, they started sharing about our Jesus and my heart-- it almost burst.

It is two days later and yesterday my phone dinged with the texts from that group as each of them shared their discoveries in their time with Him that morning.  Yesterday, God grew me through them.

Today I am up early.  I am seeing videos of children in another place being beheaded for their love of Jesus.   Children.  I see pictures of their parents' faces and I tell myself, This is what horror looks like.  I am physically ill.  How do you pray about this?  God, what can I say besides please, please take that evil out.  And then, of course, Paul hushes my fears and my wavering trust that God really does work all things together in goodness.  Paul is usually good for a hushing.

"Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.  

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."
Romans 16: 19-20

My prayers for those beautiful children shifted.

Jesus, calm their spirits. May they keep their innocence even in the midst of great evil.  And Lord, help them to crush Satan today as they look death in the face and still hang on to you.  

I'm imagining the roar of heaven and the saints right now.  They're standing.  Arms raised, cheering.  And when those dear, dear little ones walk through golden gates and into the arms of Christ, heaven must be making such a ruckus.