I want to go over, I want to help, and I'm sure like so many other people, I feel helpless. I pray, and I pray hard.
Of course my first thought was of my family, and praise the Lord over and over that they are all safe. My parents and Ian, my younger brother, were a few hundred miles inland and felt the quake and aftershocks, but not directly affected by the tsunami. My youngest brother, Zack, had just moved into his new college dorm room and is directly South of where the tsunami hit on the coast. They had damage from the quake and are closer to where the tsunami hit.
I was talking to my sister on Friday after the news broke, after we got word from Mom that they were ok, and we were both at a loss for words. The news just kept getting worse, and we were stunned. But the one thing we said was, "That isn't some far away place that we are just seeing pictures of on tv. That was our home."
(Heather and I in Japan. Thank goodness my outfit was hidden. Seriously.)
Those are all familiar images. We know that place. We know that culture, and we love it. We were both feeling the heart ache. And we both said "I want to go help."
We aren't able to be there like we want to, but our family is. They are safe, and now they are there and able to help others. (To find out how you can help them help others, friend them on Facebook - Kim and John Baranski- they have set up a disaster relief fund that will go directly to relief efforts).
It's a place I'm sure many have found themselves in- desperately wanting to help, and not knowing how. More than just sending money, but wanting to go hug people, feed them, give them a blanket. Anything to ease their hurt or heartache.
It is unfathomable to me what place the victims of the earthquake and tsunami are in. I am humbly and personally asking that if you read this, please continue to pray for everyone affected. And for those over there that are able to help, that they may be led to everyone in need, and that they will be protected.
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