Early Sunday morning, a young woman named Elia Hernandez was murdered at a party in Haywood County. Why? What was the point of this senseless killing? She had not done anything to provoke the killer. She certainly did not deserve to be shot. But sometimes, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can lead to death.

I did not personally know Elia, but my heart still hurts for her, her family, and her friends. So many people have been affected by her death. This 17 year old girl had so much ahead of her. Now she will never be able to attend college, find love, experience marriage, start a family, or achieve her true potential. She was wrongfully taken from this world for no reason. Elia did not attend that party thinking she would never see another sunrise. Why was her life taken when she had done nothing to aggravate anyone? She had no idea that someone would have a gun, much less use it to murder her. She didn't imagine she would be hit by a stray bullet while trying to have a good time. Though she probably should not have been at the party, death is far too harsh a consequence for her actions.

To make matters even worse, Elia was hiding. When the situation became clear to her, she hid. She realized she had made a mistake in coming and was trying to protect herself. Unfortunately, a stray bullet hit Elia in the abdomen, producing a fatal wound.

The question we are all asking now is, Why? Why would God let such a sweet, optimistic and innocent girl die? What is the point in allowing her to die? She had so much life in her and even more ahead of her.

In these times, we must lean on God and trust in his plan. We must remember that God is in control and regardless of what we want, he knows what he is doing. We must remember the fragility of life and take a moment to realize we are never promised another day. It is so easy to blame God when we are upset. We blame the one who created us, breathed life into us, gave us the things we need, and blessed us with the things we want.

Shedding the blood of an innocent is horrid in God’s eyes. Actually, Proverbs 6:16-19 speaks of the six things God hates. Yes, you read that correctly, God HATES these things. The verses (as written in The Message//Remix) state, “Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a trouble maker in the family.” From this, we should realize that we as people are given the gift of free will, which many abuse. However, God does have a plan for everyone. While I am not satisfied with his plan for Elia's life, I have learned from it.

I pray that Elia’s friends and family members are able to forgive the killer, even if he doesn’t deserve it. I pray that they heal and continue to grow in the Lord, trusting in him with their own futures. I pray that we as a community think of these senseless actions and learn from them, refusing to allow this to tear us apart again. I pray that we do not forget or brush this under the rug. And lastly, I pray for Elia. She paid the ultimate price for no reason. We will not forget you, Elia.