Good morning…
On this day when we celebrate the non-violent movement of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I am trying to process the violent death of a beloved woman in the Grove Park neighborhood of our city. The last time I gathered with our therapeutic community group at PAWkids, we sent flowers home with Mike Mike, the group member with the most reliable attendance, on time, every week. The flowers were sent home with Mike Mike to celebrate the 57th birthday of his loving mom, the matriarch of their large, tight-knit family. We snapped the photo above and the photo below as we finished up our gathering.
Then early Saturday afternoon, I got this text: “Hi, checking in to see if you have heard about Mike Mike’s mom. We’ll need to be praying about how to support him both in our group and outside of our time together.”
“I haven’t heard about Mike Mike’s mom,” I replied. “What happened?”
“She was murdered in their home by her boyfriend,” came the response. “No words to describe the devastation. I spoke to LaTonya this morning, she was with him and their family. She said she will reach out as she knows more about how to support them.”
“Wow,” I texted. “I am shocked and heartbroken. Grateful LaTonya is there with Mike Mike and their family. Please do let us know what we might do in support.”
“I know,” she said. “I wish I could have told you in person, but I’m traveling and know how you would enter in with prayer.”
Enter in, I did. Praying. Praying. Praying. Throughout the weekend I prayed. To violence, we lost the mom to Mike Mike and his siblings and the grandmother of three special kids we have loved for years in our Afterschool Enrichment Program at PAWkids.
In the early hours of Sunday, I looked for any update on the incident. I found this brief clip. It felt surreal to see their home taped off as a crime scene. I’ve dropped off fixings for Thanksgiving dinner at their place. I’ve sent home from our group lots of food and goodies over the years. I’ve picked up and dropped off Mike Mike, our friend. I drive past this intersection on my way to and from PAWkids, most every Monday afternoon, most every Tuesday morning. Now everything is saturated with such excruciating sorrow.
I sent Mike Mike a text, communicated with LaTonya, the Founder and Director of PAWkids, and touched base with a few from our Tuesday group. I look forward to seeing many of them at the MLK celebration at Kipp elementary school today. Hugging and holding this family’s pain, we will somehow begin healing together. God will make a way where there seems to be no way, this truth I deeply trust.
Deeply I pray for this devastated family. Might you join me, lifting up your own heartfelt prayers?
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life (Psalm 42:7-9, NIV).
…Sue…
