If you’re like me, you probably watched the news coverage of the California wildfires, last weekend. And I’m pretty sure that the images were met with sympathy, compassion and (if we’re honest with ourselves), gratitude. While we are saddened that anyone is dealing with such devastation, it is with grateful hearts that we recognize, “If not for the grace of God, there go I.”

I believe, if it is not us, we have an obligation to pray, give, support, and do whatever else we can, from where we are, to help those for whom the destruction and loss are real and incomprehensible.

There has been a lot of media coverage showing multi-million-dollar mansions going up in flames but, the truth is, the destruction has impacted everyone, from all walks of life. It destroyed the home of a high school basketball coach whose entire community went up in flames and took the life of his sister. There was a guy who had just renovated a condo into which he’d invested everything he owned and said he had no family and nowhere to go. Think of the schools, businesses and livelihoods that have, literally, gone up in smoke.

It will take months to remove the wreckage, years to rebuild what’s been lost, and some things are gone forever. And for everyone from those impacted communities, things will ever be the same.  

So, for those of us who woke up this morning, with a reasonable sense of stability in our lives, let’s do what we can. Let’s not just have sympathy (feel saddened and then move on). Instead, let’ do what Jesus would do. Let’s be moved with compassion: recognize the suffering, feel the sadness and then ACT to alleviate it. 

Here are 3 practical things we can do:

  1. Pray – pray for all of it/everything related to this tragedy
  2. Give – give what you can
  3. Encourage – encourage your family/friends to give
  4. Repeat – Do, at least, one or more of these everyday

Jesus saw crowds of people who were scattered and faint, and he was moved with compassion for them. Matthew 9:36

Note: You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps people affected by disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires and tornadoes. Message and Data Rates May Apply. Text STOP to 90999 to STOP. Text HELP to 90999 for HELP.

Keep the Faith, LifeSpeakers!

Love,
Wilma

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