I think it is safe to assume that my household was one of millions worldwide that had coverage of the Orlando terrorist massacre looping nonstop on Sunday. Initially, the breaking news of the shooting quickly spread through the U.S. as an event that only Americans would be concerned about. As a heightened awareness of the situation began unfolding early Sunday morning, the story evolved into international news. It is an unthinkable event that occurred in the nightclub in Orlando. The massacre of human lives has lasting affects, which causes a spectrum of emotions to race through the veins of a myriad of people worldwide.

The time period in which a loved one is lost and the subsequent weight of their absence is felt for months and even years in a sobering and painful time of life. Losing someone in such a hateful way is even harder to cope with. When something as terrible as this occurs, we want justice to be carried out and the culprit to get what he deserves. But, in the case of the Orlando shooter, he was also a statistic of the tragedy. So, now we search for answers to mend our broken hearts.

As a representative for the many people across the globe who have no ties to anyone involved in the horrific event, I stand for the people and because of that my heart aches for every victim, family member, police officer, politician, mayor, citizen of Orlando and surrounding areas, who are deeply pained by this event. As a seemingly helpless bystander, peering through the lens of a box and listening to the first person accounts of everyone involved in this tragically historic day, my heart shatters. Not only do I feel as though I have nothing to offer to better the situation, but also that no one else does either. Besides providing comfort and some Kleenex's to those who are experiencing the lasting affects of this massacre, there is no act that any living human could do to mend this brokenness.

Aside from the empathetic sadness I feel as I watch the distraught faces discussing the atrocities on national news, a sense of fear also begins to bubble to the surface of my mind. This isn't simply a fear that stems from this particular shooting, but rather it is a culminating fear that is reminiscent of the terroristic tragedies that have transpired around the world, which are shaping the direction in which our world is turning. It doesn't seem like things are getting better in the world, in fact, it only seems to be getting worse.

And so life continues on. This event will soon just become a piece to the puzzle in the history of the world. We could all just move on and say, "oh well, that's life. Bad things just happen." Or, we could learn from this. Not necessarily learn how to prevent bad things from happening, but rather learn how to enhance our response to tragedies. Learning how to respond better doesn't mean taking action right away, either. Our response is in our attitude. Our response is how we choose to handle the things that happen to us in life, instead of feeling bad for ourselves when they do happen!

Here's what I mean.

When tragedies strike: grieve. Grieve with others, grieve with friends, grieve with family. Grieve for as long as you need to grieve. There is a time for weeping when our hearts are broken, and our loving Heavenly Father is surely grieving with us.

Get back up and pick the pieces up, too. There is a blessing in the struggle, pain, and affliction. Nothing in this life is wasted. There is due purpose for everything that happens to us, in both the good and the bad. There's no need to leave your pain in the past when you can certainly overcome that pain. When you put your life in the hands of the "Perfect Sustainer," the loving God of the universe, he will certainly take care of you and he will provide for you in every empty hole in your heart.

One of those ways in which he provides for you is through relationships. Share your life with others. Talk about what's going on inside and how you're feeling -- there are people out there who truly care, and in fact may be going through the very same hurt that you are! That is no coincidence. God knows just what we need, we just have to be willing to trust him with every aspect of our life and he will certainly amaze us time and time again.

This tragedy that happened is not only a tragedy for the victims involved, but also the parents of the culprit. No parents want to see their son or daughter grow up to be a mass murderer! Even though they may have a different religion than you, or you don't see eye to eye with them does not mean they don't need love just like me and you! The only way the cycle of hate will be broken is through love. ISIS needs love. Humans simply need to be loved, and at the very core of who we are as humans are beings who long to be loved.

Part of loving is forgiving. We must forgive ISIS, we must forgive this man who killed all these people. Yes, it may seem backwards, but we are all sinners saved by God's grace. There is not one single individual on this planet that is better than another person just because of their beliefs, social or economic status, or the job that they have. Christ died for the wretched sinners that we are, so that we could know him personally, love others and live for a greater purpose than just for our own well-being.

With all this chaos, confusion, and extreme emotion going on because of this sad day in history, I'm reminded of one simple thing -- life is so much greater than me and the plans that I have for my life. There's a bigger story going on. A story that is unfolding each day, through the tragedy and the beauty. A story that will not end with a tragedy, but will end in the most unimaginable beauty one could ever imagine. A story that both you and I play an important role, shine a bright light, and provide an everlasting hope to a dark world.