Kind Hearts Of Compassion
We have all rocked and reeled from Hurricane Katrina. It has taken us through almost every kind of emotion possible. At first there was fear, not knowing if it would change direction and bring destruction as far North as we are in the state. Then, it brought wonderment. The awesome power displayed staggered our imagination. There was sadness. Sadness for a city and a region rich in history. The Gulf coast was devastated. People lost their lives, their homes and their possessions. Some lost family and were forced to live in fear and doubt among people whom they had never met. Many of us were touched by the grief of the multitudes in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who were suffering so.
We watched with eager anticipation as the rescue crews lifted people to safety from rooftops by helicopters and boated people who were found clinging to trees and porch railings. It was and is a sad mess.
As if that were not enough, we look up and here comes another one. Hurricane Rita took aim at the other side of the Louisiana and Texas coast and packed her wallop as if to make sure that the coastal regions of Louisiana were well covered with disaster. She blew in and destroyed everything in her path in the lower regions of the state and inflicted great damage as she moved inward. Now, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are in a mess. The nation looks on while we sit here, rocking and reeling, wondering if there will be another delivered in the remaining six weeks of hurricane season.
What will come of all of this? What does this mean to us? What will we do? Well, we will rebuild and we will do fine, in time. We will pay more for fuel, that’s for sure. It appears that the whole nation will suffer from that consequence. But it is important that we not focus on fuel and money at this point in time. We have been awakened to the reality that we are more dependant on oil than we are on God, as a nation. God will not take that lightly. He will have none other before Him. From all of the destruction we’ve seen throughout these two horrible storms, something good will likely come out of it. One day, we will probably look back and even count it a blessing.
Think about it. When the attack on our country happened on 9-11, this country rallied to the aid of those who were so devastated by the attack. It heightened a sense of dependency on God all over the country. We felt helpless and venerable. Bible sales soared through the roof and God used that event to call this nation to Himself and compassion for their countrymen.
The same things happened with these storms. God has used them to bring an awareness of His awesome power and presence and people are being drawn to Him. Through the people of this country, He is seen through their compassion for their fellow countrymen as they reach out to try and help. People have left their states, their homes and traveled East, West and South to help those ravaged by this destruction. People’s hearts are softened, not only here, but in other countries around the world. Daily we receive e-mail from people inside and outside this country assuring us that they are praying for those who were so badly distraught. God has a way of using things to get people’s eyes open. And, it is working. He can take the worst of any situations and work them out to our good.
We’ve seen churches, even our own, take their eyes off of themselves and reach out to help people they do not even know. We’ve seen businesses and communities do whatever they could to ease the pain. We’ve seen individual lend themselves way beyond the call of duty to help because they were driven by compassion.
Compassion is a work of God and that cannot be denied. Jesus had compassion on the multitudes because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And because of that compassion, he helped them and lead them to better things. God had compassion on His creation at the time of the great flood and allowed eight souls to live so that you and I might have an existence. God is a God of compassion.
So, remember this. Whatever you do to help those who are affected by these storm will be a godly exercise of faith. If you give a dollar or a million, a cup of water, a morsel of food or a time of shelter and care, you are doing what God would do. He will be working through you. Our hands will be His hands. Our hearts will be His heart. And then, the Sacred Word that He has written on our hearts will be read by the multitudes, not only those who have been directly affected by these storms, but every single person in this world who chooses to see Him. Let it never be said that God’s people do not rally when there is a need!