Sometimes, seeing God's hand in the world is easy. Sometimes you can pick out events or stories in your own life and in people around you and clearly see His work there. And other times, His grace and love must be searched for, and can seem impossible to find.

The events that took place in the late night hours of Thursday the 7th are enough to rattle my bones and tie my stomach into knots. In the deadliest police attack since September 11th of 2001, at least 11 officers were shot, and at least five were killed as protesters left a rally in downtown Dallas. In a recent interview with CNN, retired FBI agent Steve Moore said "This was an attack planned long before -- waiting for an opportunity to go." This was not an act committed by an entire movement, but by few people consumed and devoured by hatred. But if only for a moment, let us stop pointing fingers and shouting blame, and instead stand together in prayer for those who need it the most.

Today, we pray for the city of Dallas. Today, we grieve with the families of the fallen officers. To the mothers who lost their sons, the wives who lost treasured husbands, and to the children who will never have the precious gift of seeing their fathers again, I cannot even begin to imagine your loss. We pray for you, that you may find peace in knowing that your son, or husband, or father was nothing short of an everyday hero, and that he died in service to his city and to his country, and for that, we are humbly grateful.

To the officers who were wounded, and to the first responders, we thank you. We thank you for the good that you are doing in our cities, in our homes. We pray that you will find the strength to continue to serve your city without fear and without hesitation.

And to the shooters, I will pray for you. I pray that you are someday able to open your heart to light, and that it may cast out the darkness currently residing there. I hope that you find love and redemption in Christ, and that you will someday be free from the bondage and chains of hatred.

This is not our country. This is not Texas. This is not who we are as a nation, and this is not what we stand for. The actions of few do not represent our nation as a whole. Let us not allow this tragedy to pull our country or our beloved state toward darkness. Let us honor the victims by choosing to live each day in service to others, in the name of the Lord.

Sometimes, finding God's hand in our lives or those around us can be difficult. But let it be known that He is with us, He stands for us, and He loves us all. Dallas, we are praying for you. Words cannot express the heartbreak hovering over your beautiful city. I pray that you find hope and peace. May God bless Dallas, God bless Texas, and may God bless America - now and always.