It is hard for me sometimes to sit and write about the world according to Tim and offer my little ideas and talk about the little things in my life that might be bothering me at the moment when there are people with real issues and real tragedies and real sorrows going on in their life.  Of course I am talking about Hurricane Sandy.  I am sorry for those people’s troubles and their losses.  They are in my prayers.

At times like this, I reflect.  I reflect on my blessings, on how the pain in the rear problem I thought I had an hour ago is nothing compared to what other people are going though.  Let me share some of those reflections.

Now’s Your Chance

Remember the earthquake in Haiti?  Remember the massive cry for donations to help out that poor country in it’s time of distress?  Americans opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to the people suffering in that tiny country.  Then the critics (why is there always critics?) started saying it was a waste of time and money because charity should begin at home and we have starving people and poverty in America…etc.  Well critics, now’s your chance.  The people that gave during the Haiti crisis will no doubt give in the Hurricane Sandra crisis.  The charity is now in your backyard, critics.  I hope you drop a coin or two to help out your fellow Americans.

Just Doing There Jobs

Having lived with a nurse for 37 years, I am attuned to headlines about nurses.  This story here caught my eye.  Of course it was nurses, doctors, paramedics and other staff members that pulled off this miraculous evacuation.  I am sure more and more stories like this will come to light as the days pass.  It never surprises me, but it always amazes me when these trained professionals get in a crises situation and go into solution mode.

“Just Started Sweeping”

I was listening to the radio this morning and the hosts were talking about people in New Jersey coming out and helping clean out storm drains to ease the flooding.  They remarked there was a picture of someone helping using a ski pole.  This imagery reminded me of another crises situation that occurred in Los Angeles in April 1992.  This was the Los Angeles riots that occurred after the Rodney King verdict.  A few days into the riots, right before Marshall Law was to take effect, actor Edward James Olmos went out into the street with a broom and “just started sweeping”.  By the end of the day about 800 people were out sweeping  and cleaning up.  Olmos reflects on this event here.

I like to think these stories show us who Americans truly are.  Yes, things get broken in this country.  Sometimes we break things ourselves, sometimes the breaking is done by others, and many times things are broken by forces of nature.  But we always pull together after these incidents, even if it only seems like a brief time, but we pull together and help each other because at some point somebody brings out a broom and starts sweeping.

God please bless those people who are suffering with tragedy and loss and heartache because of Hurricane Sandy.  Your will be done.  Amen.