Last night I was catching up on the aftermath of Hurricane turned Super Storm Sandy. The devastation I saw is beyond comprehension: streets flooded or turned into sand dunes; homes and businesses swept away, ruined by wind and water, or burned to rubble; snow piled up to car windows; trees dead on the ground like road kill; boardwalks ripped apart and scattered like leaves. What really broke my heart was seeing families' possessions piled up on the curb to be hauled away forever, watching a little girl helping clear sand off her street with a toy beach shovel, hearing one woman tell how alone she feels because no one has come to help, and seeing the shock and helplessness on people's faces as they described their experience and loss.
I understand. In January 2007, the Ozarks suffered a horrific ice storm. We went through days, a week, or for some several weeks without power or water. The store shelves were often bare as folks scrounged for whatever they could find to survive on. Broken limbs, still covered in ice, were piled house-high next to the streets. Then in May 2011, a monster tornado hit Joplin, destroying homes and businesses, killing 158, and changing the lives of those left behind forever. We felt shocked and helpless, thought life would never get back to normal again. But it did. With time and lots of help from neighbors and kind people we didn't even know, we got through our version of "Sandy."
Since watching last night, I can't get the O'Jays' song "Love Train" out of my head:
People all over the world,
join hands,
start a love train, love train.
So let's start a love train to reach the victims of Sandy. If you can, send money or donate necessities. The Red Cross and Convoy of Hope are already there helping folks recover and can use all the donations they can get. If you can't donate, then pray. Or send out loving thoughts. Call or email someone you know affected by Sandy and listen to their story, encourage them, make them laugh.
Do something, anything, to help these people believe they'll get through this. Come on everybody, get on board.
I understand. In January 2007, the Ozarks suffered a horrific ice storm. We went through days, a week, or for some several weeks without power or water. The store shelves were often bare as folks scrounged for whatever they could find to survive on. Broken limbs, still covered in ice, were piled house-high next to the streets. Then in May 2011, a monster tornado hit Joplin, destroying homes and businesses, killing 158, and changing the lives of those left behind forever. We felt shocked and helpless, thought life would never get back to normal again. But it did. With time and lots of help from neighbors and kind people we didn't even know, we got through our version of "Sandy."
Since watching last night, I can't get the O'Jays' song "Love Train" out of my head:
People all over the world,
join hands,
start a love train, love train.
So let's start a love train to reach the victims of Sandy. If you can, send money or donate necessities. The Red Cross and Convoy of Hope are already there helping folks recover and can use all the donations they can get. If you can't donate, then pray. Or send out loving thoughts. Call or email someone you know affected by Sandy and listen to their story, encourage them, make them laugh.
Do something, anything, to help these people believe they'll get through this. Come on everybody, get on board.
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