Hurricanes and Poignant Moments of Human Goodness
Thank you for all your expressions of love and concern for our family in south Georgia who was caught in the destructive path of Helene.
We have all been blessed by your prayers and they meant more than we can express. It was difficult to see all the destruction both in person and also in the news, but it was even more so for those who live in the path of this devastating hurricane.
In thinking back over the last ten days, one of the things that is so touching to me about tragedies such as Helene are the stories of compassion and kindness that surface. People give, serve, and go above and beyond to help others, most of whom they don’t know. Neighbors, who often rarely speak, are sharing, helping, hugging. Strangers make purchases for others, share what they have, leave jobs, and go and help.
I have wept when I heard about women waiting in line in the evening to offer to wash the clothes of the power workers and EMT workers who are working far from home and who have come to help these women and their families. I have felt emotional when I see pictures of messages of gratitude spelled out in storm debris for the helicopter pilots who have brought the Starlink equipment as well as food, water, and supplies.
Why does devastation often bring out the very best in us?
Why do we see love and care from strangers that far surpasses normal interaction? Is it because the sudden stripping away of life, livelihood, and possessions brings us clarity as to what is important and what really matters in life?
Whatever it is, I am so grateful we are allowed these poignant moments to connect with individual goodness, virtue, generosity, grace, and mercy.
The prayer that I am praying these days is that we, God’s children, will see clearly every day that we live amidst destruction and heartbreak caused by the war between good and evil on this earth.
Truly, there can be no break for us in caring for others. Clean up efforts will be on-going as spiritual warfare rages. May we remember this fact!
And may we recall that we are honored to live in a war-torn land where we can serve in God’s name. Where we can generously share grace, mercy, and the hope of rescue from our Savior. Oh, my good Father, please bless us with eyes to see those who need Jesus, our Savior, our source of true power and relief.
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