In the Dark

Remembering Those Who Suffer
Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

There is so much in the news about the nuclear reactors in Japan. It has overshadowed the underlying stories of the people who are missing, the thousands of people who had to leave their homes and are sitting in evacuation centers with just the clothes that they left with on their backs.

Last night I was reading all the updates and the underlying stories that don't make the front page of the news. Most of that area is without power. Japan lost 30% of its power losing these reactors. It is snowing there off and on so it is extremely cold. We complain when there is a storm and the power goes out for a few hours. They are saying it could takes months, maybe even a year to bring some of it back and then there are unknowns. They are even possibly talking about encasing the whole complex in a cement block and calling it a dead zone. The land is contaminated for growing crops and even the underground water supply will be uninhabitable for miles from the sight. All of this loss and devastation is beyond my comprehension. You can't help but mourn and have compassion for all the people that called this place home.

Imagine doing the things that you do normally on a daily basis, taking the kids to school, going to work, going to church, doing laundry and fixing meals and then at one brief moment, your entire world changes and you are displaced with thousands of others to a place of the unknowns, unknown of where your next meal will come from, how you will work, where your kids will get an education, where your missing family members and friends are and if you will ever see them again. It all seems so far away, we are so removed from all of that for I sit in my warm house, on my computer, having had a good breakfast, getting ready to take a hot shower and a cold glass of water from the sink and go into my refrigerator and get some ice. It is hard for me to even know all of the hardships they are facing in this new life that have been thrown into.

On the way to school today, Abby shared about one of her teachers who was deeply touched that is collecting used jeans to send over to Japan and the kids have collected more than $200 to send them. What should we do when devastation comes to others not part of our community, close to us geographically? Earthquakes and natural disasters are coming more often. At the very least, I think He wants us to mourn with those who mourn, pray continually for physical provision for those who have lost and pray for God's glory to be shown through tragedy. I pray that many will come to know Jesus for they desperately need hope. And then, as I move about my day, may I be thankful for all that He has given to me. For in just a blink of an eye, our world could be turned upside down and life could change for us forever too. We are blessed today for having all that we need. We should pray for those who aren't so blessed and who have so many needs, both physical and emotional.

Finally, I think we need to ask, what can we do with the resources that we have to make a difference?