The streets are bordered with Elm trees, Ash trees, some Oak, and even some Willow trees. On most days just after 3pm you'll see grade school children walking home with smiles on their faces, filled with laughter, and much chatter. And on the other side of the street you see a white haired lady walking her Beagle, some days it's an older gentleman walking his German Shepherd. On each of the corners of the major intersection of this small town are volunteer Safety Patrol Officers, stopping traffic so the children may cross safely.
In the summer months you can drive by and see children running and splashing their way through the sprinklers and slip-n-slides that engulf their neighborhood park. It is a quiet, peaceful town that I drive through on my way home from work everyday.
But today it is different. I can no longer drive through this tiny community and see, taste, and feel the presence of peace. All of the trees are wrapped with white bows, the faces of the children are no longer filled with joy, but of sorrow and fear; and the overwhelming presence of anger fills the air.
All of the marquee signs at churches and businesses in the town and it's neighboring communities read 3 simple words: God Bless Kelli. Just another reminder of how fragile life can be, even at the tender age of 14.
Kelly came home from school one day a couple of weeks ago and walked into a burglary that was in progress inside her home and was murdered. It was the first murder in this small town's over 50 years of existence. A senseless crime that ripped the heart out of this tight knit community of less than 3,500 folks.
The other day I had noticed the neighboring communities around this town of stolen innocence had wrapped white bows around their trees; a symbol of solidarity for one of their own.
Marianne Williamson, an American author, once wrote:
In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is power to do it.
May the peace of God be with the family of Kelli and in the hearts of her hometown community.
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