I've been watching the news on the devastating cyclone that hit Myanmar.The coverage has been less than we are accustomed to in our Global world.
Technology is never far away. . . unless the country keeps it that way.
I confess I didn't know where it was. . .I suspected Asia. .
I looked it up.
Click here to see the map, if you too were curious.
Who knows what the death toll really is. Perhaps we never will.
This morning it hit me in a new way .. .
Mothers without their children. . .
Children without their parents. . .
This is real, a terrible sadness, a country in mourning.
One only has to think and imagine if it were here,
I can't imagine . ..
Lord, sometimes we just don't know how to help ..
what to say. . .
how to care .. .
how to reach out. .
to those around us that have unspeakable hurt in their lives.
Lord, let me be sensitive to help. . .to care. . .
to see through your eyes. . .
the global community ..
the people far away. .
the people next door.
Some days, we just can't say all that is on our hearts .. .
today, is one of those days.
Some days, I just need to document the fact that all is not right with the world.
I'll be back tomorrow.
Thanks for the map Lovella. I knew the general area but this really is helpful. It really is hard to comprehend such devastation...
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Ellen. Yes, I too felt sad that so many lives and families are devasted in Myanmar. It seems too easy for all of us who are safe in lovely homes in a country as wealthy as America, to remember often enough that millions around the world live without our ease and comfort. Thanks for reminding us.
ReplyDeleteKathy
Sorry, Lovella - I really did know who I was writing - Lovella, not Ellen! Brain bloop!...Kathy
ReplyDeleteYes,
ReplyDeleteWe are sometimes to 'smug' in our own little world. We are a global community now....and our responsiblities for compassion and giving must be global as well.
This week is emergency preparedness week here in B.C. Here is a great website to check out to make sure you are prepared. www.pep.bc.ca/index.html
We must be mindful of our own responsiblity as well to our family(s) and community, especially here on the Lower Mainland where we are in a earthquake zone. Have you got your emergency 'kit' ready? I know I have.
This of course, pales compared to the situation in Myanmar but it is a reminder to be diligent at home for those things which we can be responsible for.
i echo your thoughts as well lovella.
ReplyDeletewe get so caught up with the meaningless things, that in the long run really don't matter in this life.......
what measures success
how our home is decorated
what kind of car we drive
what kind of clothes we wear
etc etc
yet sooo many have suffered such loss and devastation, that we truly cannot comprehend.
what is our response as
Christians...how do we love
how do we care
such a big question
what is the answer....just wondering?
Thank you for this post, Lovella. When I first heard the news, I also had to look up Myanmar (Burma) to see where it's located. My heart hurt so bad when I first heard the reports, and it aches even more each time I hear the numbers and how the count has increased. Even as we are still recovering from Katrina and as we face a recession, we still have so much to be thankful for, and we should not forget to remember and pray for those who are suffering in another part of the world.
ReplyDeleteLovella, you are so right. The news on this disaster is minimal. I wonder if it's because of the government there. I understand that they want no help from my country; wonder if they'll take help from yours. I also noted that Google has a place to donate on their main page.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the map. I, too, didn't know for certain where it was.
A matter for prayer and lots of it.
We just checked out the location this morning as we watched the news. How very devastating...and how can we respond? Thanks for putting it before us!
ReplyDeleteLooking at my passport..my visa to Myanmar, Thailand, the memories rush back. All the bodies in Thailand, stacked up like cord wood. The wailing and crying. The lady that sold fruit at the market on the beach in Myanmar, is she alive? Her little kids that clutched to her skirt and looked up with curious eyes that beamed at the sight of candy. Do we in North America really have a clue? Oh yes, go and quickly write a cheque for $50.00, that will ease our conscience along with a quick little prayer for those poor people "over there". If one really cared, they would treat it as if it was your aunt, sister, mother, child that was suffering. Sorry, stumbled by, those are my thoughts. Peace.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine the devastation either..indeed very sad.
ReplyDeleteSo many hurting people..
How will I reach out to those in need around me??
Thanks for the map..sure was helpful!
When people talk about Myanmar, I think of Sumatra and the devastation of December three years ago. I wonder how many Indonesians are still suffering from the losses of the tsunami.
ReplyDelete