Matthew 7:1-3

What I'm about to say will not sit well with others.  But God has placed it upon my heart to share this:

Chris Watts is not a monster.

He is a man.  He is one of God's children.  He is LOVED by our Savior.  

Wayne Mimms said it very well:

"We are saddened and sickened by the news reports of a husband and father killing his own wife and children, and of the reports of hundreds of catholic priests molesting children in their own church. These are indeed tragic and disgusting actions for which these people will stand before both God and our legal system and face the consequences. But as we're condemning them, let us also remember that every one of us is capable of any imaginable or unimaginable sin. Some of you may not believe it... we've all said "I could never do that", but the fact is, we're all sinners and given the right circumstances, we're capable of anything. Oh, you might not do a certain thing right here and now in your current situation or frame of mind, but things like we're talking about rarely happen overnight... "smaller" sins creep into our lives and then the next step doesn't seem like such a big one... our hearts and minds get used to things and then one thing leads to another and before we know it, we're doing things we never imagined we could or would do. It's only by the grace of God that we're saved from sin. Pray for the innocent victims of these crimes. Pray for justice. Pray for the souls of those who have committed the unimaginable acts. And pray that God will show you areas in your own life that need repentance, that sin will not be able to fester and grow like a cancer. Love y'all and God bless! - Wayne"

This terrible tragedy has been weighing heavily on myself and the majority of humanity.  I will admit to the fear and mistrust that has penetrated me personally by this heinous act - Especially after reading the accounts of close friends.

Family friends who let Chris Watts stay in their home after his wife and daughters went missing expressed shock over the accusations against him -- and apologized for taking him in and defending him against swirling rumors. 
​
“Had we had any inclination that we thought he was involved at all, no way would I have let him in my house with my wife and kid,” Nick Thayer told 9News Thursday, the day Watts confessed and the bodies were found. 

“They were family,” his wife, Amanda Thayer, told the news station. “They spent Thanksgivings with us and Fourth of Julys and all the holidays. It’s just unreal.”

The couple, who also took in the Watts family’s dog, Deeter, until Shanann’s family could pick him up, is now left figuring out how to tell their 5-year-old daughter that her playmates are dead. They are also struggling to understand the crime themselves, 9News reported. 
​
“I’m so sorry. We didn’t know. We thought we were doing the right thing,’ Nick Thayer said. “It’s all we can do is say we’re sorry that we defended him on social media. We really had no idea that he was capable of doing something like we’ve.... I hate it. I hate all of this.”

[[SOURCE]]

So with fear and distrust creeping into me, I looked into this mans eyes to see if there was anything I could see.  Anything that set off that internal little 'stranger danger' radar.  Anything that could help prevent such a horrific event in the lives of my friends and my own family......​But when I look into that man's eyes, I do not see a monster.  I still see a child of God.

I still see someone in need of prayer and compassion. Only God truly knows a person's heart, it is not our place to condemn and judge - it is our place to love our brothers and sisters.

Matthew 7:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV)
Do Not Judge
7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

So much hate and fear have been bred by this terrible tragedy. Complete strangers are at each other's throats, spitting venomous hate at each other via comments on her Facebook posts.... and that is precisely what the enemy is aiming for - to seek, kill, and destroy.

Let us not be overcome with fear and hate, but with the reckless love of God.

​We should PRAY FOR this man and not be blind to our own sins.

Love in Christ,

Missy