I don’t know Janet Vollmer. I’ve never seen her face or spoken to her or heard her voice. All I know about her is what I read on the CNN website on Saturday. But those two sentences were enough.
Janet is a kindergarten teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary. When she heard the “pop pop pop” of rapid gunfire and the chaos outside her classroom on Friday morning, she pulled the blinds, locked the door and hurried her kids to the back of the room. “We’re going over in a safe area,” she told the 19 five-year-olds in her class.
And when she had them settled on the floor, crowded against the back wall, Janet did something incredibly smart, courageous and compassionate. She opened a book and began to read a story aloud to her students, as bullets ricocheted and women and children died just beyond the door.
I don’t know what religion Janet practices or whether she goes to church or prays or even if she believes in God or not. But I do know this. Jesus was in that kindergarten classroom, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Amid terror and bloodshed, as horror beyond comprehension swept down the hallway and into the neighboring classrooms, Jesus was present. He was in Janet Vollmer, as she calmly read a storybook in the middle of an apocalypse. While darkness descended across the threshold, Jesus was in Janet, the voice of comfort, security and love.
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I had originally written a different post for today, but after Friday’s tragedy and our worship service on Sunday, in which Pastor Greg preached about the power and presence of Jesus’ light, even amid darkness, Janet Vollmer’s story struck me deeply.
I’ll leave you with the lyrics we sang on Sunday through tears, these verses from “Awake, Awake and Greet the New Morn.” They brought some comfort to me, and I pray they do the same for you:
To us, to all in sorrow and fear,
Emmanuel comes a-singing,
his humble song is quiet and near,
yet fills the earth with its ringing;
music to heal the broken soul
and hymns of loving kindness,
the thunder of his anthems roll
to shatter all hatred and blindness.
Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,
though dark the winter and cheerless,
the rising sun shall crown you with light,
be strong and loving and fearless.
Love be our song and love our prayer
and love our endless story;
may God fill every day we share and
bring us at last into glory.
Linking up with Emily’s Tuesdays Unwrapped, because even though I don’t know her, Janet Vollmer’s courage was a gift to me in this time of grief.
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Our Pastor broke down as he read Max Lacado’s prayer today over the darkness of our days. Thank you for your precious words to the song Awake Awake and greet the new dawn.
So many of us wept in church on Sunday – I basically cried all weekend from Friday afternoon on. It’s such a hard time.
Grateful for your presence here, Hazel. Wishing you a light-filled day.
that’s the story that struck a deep chord with me as well….
I bet it did, Kendal. I thought of you and so many other teachers this weekend – I think it’s perhaps particularly hard for you all. I’m grateful for the love and comfort you shine on your students. xxoo, friend.
I’m not familiar with that hymn, but love these lines:
“Rejoice, rejoice, take heart in the night,
though dark the winter and cheerless,
the rising sun shall crown you with light,
be strong and loving and fearless.”
If you’re a Tolkien fan, this stanza reminds me of the Two Towers, when Aragorn stands atop the wall of Helms Deep, to see the dawn, after a night of seemingly hopeless battle. The orcs jeered at him, asking what he was looking for, and telling him help was not coming. Aragorn replied simply that a there is always hope in the dawning of a new day.
I’m not a Tolkien fan, Joe (although I suspect I will become one as my boys get a bit older!), but I saw that exact scene referenced on another blog this weekend – so significant for a time such as this.
Thank you for your comforting presence here today, Joe.
All the hymns seemed especially poignant yesterday. This one is beautiful. I’m glad you shared it.
So true. It was amazing how many of them spoke to the light vs. darkness theme that we are wrestling with right now.
Thanks for stopping by Courtney – I am always happy to see your smiling face here.
So many hymns have such deep, deep meaning. I often find myself weeping when singing them. Thank you for the linkup!
Me, too, me, too – I often cry in church, especially during the music. God gave us the gift of music, I think, to help us both rejoice and mourn.
Thank you so much for stopping by here today!
I, too, have never heard that hymn before, but how beautiful the words are! I, too, found special meaning in our church service yesterday, much of which was planned prior to Friday’s tragedy. Thanks for sharing and thanks for your Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday community.
And thank you so much for being here today, Kim. Wishing you a grace and light-filled day.
I’m still left speechless about this tragedy. Thanks for putting this into words for me.
I could only write about this one tiny slice of the story – if I focus on the whole thing, I come completely unhinged. I am grasping for the light right now, and I saw it in that kindergarten teacher.
I am grateful to see you so often here on Monday mornings, Lisa – YOU are a light for me!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story of Christ’s love, and this beautiful hymn with such words of comfort that are so desperately needed. God bless you.
Blessings to you, too, Laurie. Thank for your always-faithful and faith-filled words.
Oh Michelle…I too am grasping for any light in this horrific thing. Trying to fathom the entire scope of this thing is just too overwhelming. My heart feels so heavy. My dearest friend has also lost her beloved brother this past weekend and I am grieving with her and her family. It just feels like too much.
Thank you so much for this story of this beautiful teacher who sought to bring peace to these little ones in her care. She was ‘Jesus-with-skin-on’ to these dear little souls.
I am so sorry, Jillie, for you and for the pain your friend is enduring. It’s all too much sometimes, isn’t it? Grasping for the sliver of light with you, dear friend.
Such a difficult time for so many. So glad He is our ever present help in time of need & our great comforter and peace in time of sorrow.
Clinging to that, Jen.
Amen. “While darkness descended across the threshold, Jesus was in Janet, the voice of comfort, security and love.”
The Holy Spirit be their comfort in the midst of pain so deep that only GOD can touch it.
Amen, Connie. Amen.
Yes. He was there. I’m sure of it.
My hosting server is down, so I’m linking to my post as a PDF, here in the comments: http://www.scribd.com/doc/117151220
I’m really glad you linked your story here, Deidra, because I’m telling you, despite my story about Janet here today, I’m all quavery and not feeling at all confident in my faith. I just said to Brad, “So are you going to stick with me if I plunge into 20 years of disbelief again?” I was sort-of kidding, of course. But the truth is, I feel quavery.
I think though, even in the midst of my quavering, I can plant my stick in the earth and claim that the monster shall not pass. I think I can do that. So thank you. Thank you for giving me that image to hold on to.
oh, the courage of Janet, and the courage to hold onto God in sorrow…thank you, Michelle….not sure if I will be blogging next week, so wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas.
Michelle, until I read your post, I had not heard this wondrous story of courage and faith on the part of Janet, this brave and wonderful teacher. Please know I will share to Facebook – the world needs to read this . . .
Don’t quaver. God is here. He is right here . . .
Blessings to you and yours.
Hi Michele
This is my first visit to your blog. Yes, what a brave, courageous girl! We can only thank our Lord for being her peace amidst all the horror!
Hugs XX
Mia
I’m so glad you came by, Mia – thanks for visiting!
Mia, I love seeing you here! And Michelle, this is … I’m searching for the word … a stunning visual. Jesus reading to children in the midst of horror. I think this will stick in my mind for years to come.