Earthquake!!

What a horrible nightmare of a headline that is! People using their hands to dig through blocks of cement vainly trying to rescue their family members! Terrible! Horrifying! And it is another disaster happening in an area which does not have the resources available to rescue such as we have here in the US.

One of the most glaring differences between our nation and so many, many others is the availability of the resources necessary to feed and house the victims of disasters. I think that at this point those who have experienced Katrina and complained are going to have to reassess their situation and rethink the blame game's next move.

The first headline that I saw gave a number of 3,000, but within hours that number had changed to 20,000! I thought that it was a misprint and a horrible mistake, but it turned out to be the truth. So there you have roads inaccessable, people at the mercy of whoever and whatever who are willing to take even the little these people don't have, including the person's life, because they themselves are in a panic and without food or shelter.

Across the board however, no matter how much money a country has and no matter what people think a government is supposed to do, we are to help one another; to, when we see a need, do all that we can to meet it, to care for and look after the injuries of our neighbors, to give drink where needed, a doctor where needed, shelter, clothing and protection from predators. What that all people would respond to those who are victims of disasters with kindness and a helpful spirit. It takes one thing and one thing only to become someone who helps or someone who takes advantage, and that is a decision, a simple deciding of the question: What will I do? No matter the language, no matter the resources, no matter the government, but individually asking ourselves: What will I do?

Once the decision is made to help (and not hinder with finger pointing blame-especially based on flaming newspaper reports of those who hate various government factions) then we can move free of hinderance and doubt, to help in whatever way that we can. This is something that could have happened with Katrina as well. Instead of taking pictures of a dead body disrespectfully left lying there, the media could have granted the dignity a human being deserved by first, not displaying it on national television, and second, by being a person who did something about bringing relief and aid to those affected by the nightmare called Katrina.

Even persons who were victims of a disaster can become those who reach out and help others. The more people do it, the stronger the help base becomes, and the more people are taken care of, or the more people look out one for the other. This sort of attitude has the benefit of keeping one out of the feeling sorry for themselves trap (a trap I know all too well) and giving purpose and meaning to your life and the day in the midst of a disaster that is overwhelming and devastating to the mind, body and spirit. There were some, probably many more than the media has room in their papers to report on, who did just that. Having lost everything, they located what they could salvage that could help others and then went on their way from neighbor to neighbor to help in any way that they could. Selah.