Are We truly Grateful?
Hello Everyone,
Please Read all of this, It is very important.
My heart is sad for all those individuals who are trapped in New Orleans. The flood water surrounding them is dirty and a health hazard. Dead fish and waste from overflowing toilets and wires that are live, present danger and is life threatening to those who have survived Katrina. I agree that the loss of life in the Gulf States has been horrific and just recently New Orleans people must leave because of the devastation.
There is no food and what makes it even harder is that there is no clean drinking water anywhere. Those who had taken cover in their large arena dome must leave and officials are trying to decide the best way of helping them to leave. No cars, or buses can reach them due to two of their main bridges have been blown down and the highways going into NO is flooded up so high that some cars are under the water. It seems that the only way to help them is by the air. They are surrounded by water on all sides. The roof of the dome is falling and the toilets are not working and overflowing. It is a health hazard and the officials said that they must rescue these 15,000 or more people just in the dome alone. Not to mention the thousands that took cover in other places in NO. What is even more desperate now is that all the levy’s that hold back the waters, are broken and the water is rising each hour.
My family and I have decided to open our home to a family that needs assistance due to Katrina. Once these people are rescued from New Orleans, they will either come here to Florida or go north to other states. These people have lost their home, clothes and all they have. Some have even lost loved ones. There is nothing in NO to help them survive, no food, no water, nothing to care for their needs. One man was shown on TV where he was hanging on to his wife and at the same time holding on to his two small sons. During the winds and rain it became so difficult for him to hold on to both the wife and two boys, that the wife told him to let go of her and to care for the boys. When interviewed he was crying and all he could say was, she is gone, and my wife is gone. The reporter was crying also due to her feeling the despair and grief of this mans great loss.
I hope that many in the surrounding areas can find it in their hearts to help these dear people in whatever way they can. Remember, this will not just be for a few days or weeks but most likely for months to come. These people have lost their homes, jobs, and everything materially, but they are still alive and we as their neighbors can help them build their lives again. Please if you can, open your heart to these ones in whatever way your personal situations allow you to. Remember, no good deed or act goes unnoticed by God.
Remember though to proceed with a bit of caution, I will help a family but I will also do it by means of my congregation. If you allow anyone to enter your home and if you do decide to assist a family in need, go through the authorities, Red Cross, or state officials, or your churches. I say this as a protection to you and your family. Right now there are those who have no regard for the heartache other are undergoing. There are those who are stealing and doing bad things because of the situation there in the Gulf States. Be helpful, but proceed with caution.
Where I live, we were hit by Katrina when she was a category one. I lost my lights, and phone. I soon learned after being without these things that we all have needs, but we also have wants. Yes, it was uncomfortable without lights and being in South Florida it was hot and sticking and horribly uncomfortable for three days, but I survived, because my basic needs to survival were met. I had food and water, and a place to sleep. I could bath with cold water, and had toilet facilities. These people in New Orleans do not even have that... Some are in wheelchairs, or elderly or sick, and yet they have not even the comfort of basic needs.
I am saying these things because anything we offer these individual from these states is more then what they have. They need the bare needs of life in order to survive. We all have these things. Whatever food or water we have, it can be shared. Please dig deep into your hearts and look for ways that you personally can help these people. Yes, it is great to pray for them, but right now our prays need to be backed by our actions. We all need to ask ourselves, "What can I do to help those who are looking just for the bare needs to survive?"
Thanks for reading this; I felt I needed to do something besides just praying for these ones, they also need literal food, water and shelter. I feel for these people, I personally am disabled and when I see people in wheelchairs and sick and elderly ones without the basic needs for life, I feel sad. Why? Because I put myself in their situation and think about this: “How would I feel if I was in their situations? How would I feel if in their situation, someone out of their kind heart offered me help? I would forever be grateful and never take the smaller things such as food and water for granted. I would be grateful for the things I have.
By all means keep praying, but please, please work in harmony with your prayer. We all quote Jesus’ words, now we have a chance to put what Jesus taught into actions. Remember God helps those that help themselves. If we think that food and water and shelter will just appear for these people then we are not living and serving God in reality. Didn’t Jesus produce fish and loafs of bread. Jesus didn’t just pray that the people would be all right, he took action and gave the people food. God is real and so we need to be real. So if we are grateful for our daily bread and sustenance, that let us show our appreciation by sharing what we have and by helping other in need.
Thanks and may our Loving Creator bless your kindness toward others.
Hope12
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