With all the carnage in Paris and all the talk about revenge, I wonder what God thinks of it all.

One of the foundation stones that I was given in picture form when I first embarked on writing ‘Diamond Books’ was ‘mercy’. I can be a judgmental person and easily look on the outside of situations and make a judgment. However, I never know all the facts about various situations that I look at and so I have no right to judge anyone. There is only one consistent and accurate judge, God himself.

As we Christians are being formed to be like Christ, I need to learn that what I see isn’t necessarily what it looks like at first appearances.

In every tragedy, there are people who hurt. Even when suicide bombers blow themselves apart, there are parents of those people who hurt and grieve as they were their offspring. Anger produces murder and when needs are unmet and frustrations develop, a person can get onto the boil easily. We all blow it in this life as we are human and we can learn to show mercy to those who have made really poor choices which may have affected others. Because, we as humans are basically selfish, we easily scream for our rights but God shows mercy and undeserved favour to all of us sometime during our lives.

Forgiveness isn’t a word we use very often especially in the society that we live in. However, this is key to being free and it allows us to show mercy on those who have offended us or hurt us. It’s so hard when youngsters have been taken through the cowardly acts of people who have allowed evil to take them over. It’s easy to ask ‘why’ but there are always consequences when evil men take over the peace of our lands.

However, there is light when mercy is given as it opens the door to a fresh start. God has a wonderful habit of weaving everything together for good especially to those who love God. Those who don’t know God are missing out so much and it may be that tragedies that we have witnessed recently are a means of making a wake up call for each of us to get our lives right with God. Then, we can receive more of the blessings and mercy of God that are couched and bathed in love.

Children need to know that God is merciful and ready to forgive whatever we do. I was reminded recently that the most securest place on earth is under the  shadow of God’s wing – He is like a mother hen who wants to protect and look after his own. As we become his (and this is for all) then He takes responsibility for us and we simply just need to follow Him. He has good paths ahead for each of us and children need to be assured of this for themselves, too – hence the books we provide that help to anchor children into all that is good and wholesome.