Almost on a daily basis we get bombarded with tragedy. It's on the internet, tv...other blogs. To be honest when I hear about an earthquake or school shooting it resonates with me for approximately 1 minute and then I turn the channel.
I've become numb and desensitized to the pain. It's overwhelming and I don't know about you, but I feel so small and inadequate that I don't really know what to do about any of it anyway.
Not sure if it's a defense mechanism I've built up or if I've just gotten callous, but I want to change. I want to feel again.
One of my followers Ana has been contacting me about the strange natural disasters going on in Guatemala. She has pleaded with me to share...to pray. Their poor country has been hit so hard. They had a volcano erupt leaving rocks and ashes covering everything. Some places it was up to 3 inches thick. Many of their humble homes have collapsed due to the weight.
To make matters worse a tropical storm called Agatha has been pouring heaving rainfall over their towns making a bad situation much worse. Most of these people had very little to begin with and have now lost everything. Over one hundred people have died...it's just unbelievable. I haven't heard one thing about it here...until I took a minute and looked it all up.
My plea to you is to just pause and feel. Put yourself in that town with the disruption and chaos. Take a minute to say a prayer for them, and if you feel led to do more here is a link where you can donate to help rebuild the homes lost. Thanks:)
Have a blessed day.
All photos courtesy of the Associated Press
Pausing, praying, and feeling for Guatemala today.
ReplyDeleteThankyou!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you to you and your friend for the heads up! It is so easy to get caught up in our own little world and realize what a big world it is out their with their own hardships! I will pray!
ReplyDeleteYes we are so blessed to be "safe", even though America has it's tragedies, they don't seem to compare to the rest of the world. We can only pray that God will show how we can help.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this. It really did make me stop and think and pray for these people. I admit I've become numb to people's pain and tragedies as well. It makes me really sad to think about how selfish I am. I will certainly keep praying.
ReplyDeleteThis is so good, because you are so right. We just listen and move on... we don't actually let these horrors absorb into our hearts and minds unless it's happening to us, or we're somehow connected with it. I think we as people need to look outside ourselves and do what we can- especially pray for these precious people... it could so easily be us.
ReplyDeleteYou are so, so right. Thank you for taking the time to share your heart on this.
ReplyDeleteSo true. I'm so glad you shared this. I think we all feel overwhelmed by these sort of tragedies and then not knowing what to do to help. It so easy to feel insignificant when truly every bit helps.
ReplyDeleteWe do become desensitized Becky when all we hear about is what is going on in the world ~ all the bad stuff. Until it hits close to home we go about our daily lives and do nothing. Thank you for bringing this to my attention ~ I will pray for them tonight.
ReplyDeletewhat an eye-opening post! it's so easy to live our easy lives here in the land of the free, that we seldom think of others and all of the tragedies they face. thank you for sharing this. guatemala will be in our prayers!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, sometimes I just don't watch the news because it seems to be a stream of tragic events. So overwhelming! But, I will take a moment to say prayers. Thank you for this gentle reminder:)
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to pause more often and think of others. Thank you for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I am guilty of turning a deaf ear in attempts to remain blissfully ignorant. You reminded me that I should pray at those times I want to hit the mute button or turn away.
ReplyDeleteI have been following the tragedy of Guatemala. My prayers have been going out to the people who live there. I wish that I could become numb when I hear on the news of all the bad things that have been happening in our world but no go. I guess I'm just too sensetive? :(
ReplyDeleteMary
you absolutely could not have said that any better. you are so right, I do/feel the same. I am praying.
ReplyDeleteIt's so much easier to turn our heads because when we truly "feel" it, it is painful and overwhelming. It is scary and fear-invoking. It can cause us to feel out of control. But God calls His children to feel, doesn't He? He wants us to step beyond the comfortable white picket fence that we've so neatly set up around our hearts and to dare to get in the trenches. But the trenches can be a scary place for most of us, including myself. But God's love is perfect. And His perfect love casts out fear. And He gives His children courage as they need it to accomplish whatever hard things He has called them to do. What a lesson to learn.
ReplyDeleteJust earlier today I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have the dining room table that I thought I needed....thanks for the wake up call! I am very blessed indeed.
ReplyDeleteThere, but by the grace of God, go we. Thank you for the timely reminder of how blessed we are in America!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you...
Ann-Marie
Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHeartbreaking ~ I learned of it today ~ I'm praying too. Thoughtful post!
ReplyDeleteGod bless Guatamala...God bless the Gaza Strip...God bless even those people who are under our noses...
ReplyDeleteGod bless us who are NUMB.
Thank you for reminding us how lucky we are in this unlucky world we live in.
It is truly so sad how numb we are to what is going on in this world- so much sadness and pain. We are so blessed but yet we complain when we have slow internet. thank you for your words of inspiration.
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to become detached from these horrific images...we as a society have become desensitized to violence and disasters due to the 24/7 news outlets, movies, video games...there is very REAL pain and suffering going on in this world, and we are called not only to pray but to help whenever and wherever we can.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, thank you for being sensitive to God's call.
Anne
Thank you. My daughter is from Guatemala. And even I am guilty of not stopping to let the severity of these tragedies sink in. It's just so overwhelming. Thank you for helping us all take a minute to focus on this and do what we can to help.
ReplyDeleteI had heard about the hurricane, but not the volcano. You are right, unless it is happening to you, it's easy to just hear it and move on or not even think about it. Thanks for sharing. I will pray.
ReplyDeleteSADLY, too true. I've recently made a conscious decision NOT to listen to too much news or to linger over tragedies in the newspaper. I am the kind of person who absorbs it all and carries it with me....and after a while, it's hard to walk with all of that sadness on one's shoulders. BUT, I DO pray...and I DO volunteer....and contribute....and try to assuage a bit of the misery, where I can. Although it's a drip of water in a sea of sadness, I fear. xx P&H
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard a thing about it.. but I think I've been avoiding TV coverage of things like this. Sometimes its easier to live in my happy bubble. But it's not always right.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Well said. Thanks for sharing. I must confess that I too have become numb to all the tragedy in the world. It seems that it is the only thing that is ever on the news. There are never any stories and clips on the good in the world. After awhile, I just tune it out and ignore it. I hope to work on that now.
ReplyDeleteI'm stopping, pausing, praying.
ReplyDeletexo,
LuLu
Thanks for bringing this to people's attention. My son was born in Guatemala, so this hits home for us.
ReplyDeleteTaking the time to pray right now. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing. I tend to "turn the channel" because my heart can't take it--it's OVERWHELMING......you know what I mean? Especially when I see starving kids or orphans, etc....my heart can NOT take it......sigh......
ReplyDeleteSOOO true. I have to say I can relate. I don't watch the news and don't regularly check the headlines because most of it is awful and depressing and a huge part of me wants to live in blissful ignorance.
ReplyDeleteI have to say when you commented on my blog today my mouth hit the floor in awe. ;) Thanks for making me smile.
Yes... let's have empathy. Wonderful post Becky. Have I told you lately what a faithful person you are? You amaze me.
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