Remember What’s Important
Photo Credit - Clinton Lewis
Natural disasters have a profound impact on each of us. It may be the suddenness, the unpredictability, or the sheer power of them that causes a deep awakening in our being that we are not in control of much in this world. In the aftermath of the tornadoes last week, many are working to counter a feeling of hopelessness by finding ways to help. The guy that took his grill to serve free meals for the workers and families, people opening their homes for beds and showers, crews working throughout the night and day restoring power, groups going and clearing trees and debris from people’s homes they don’t even know, folks returning pictures and items that the storm carried over a hundred miles away, a football rival raising funds for their bowl opponent’s community, and so on. Often in the midst of destruction, we find an interconnectedness that pulls on all of us.
Many years ago, my parent’s home was destroyed by fire. Walking through the rubble, I was struck by the incongruity of my memories of the place and what I was seeing. It was a gut-wrenching feeling seeing something precious altered irrevocably. I felt the same way as I watched footage of streets obliterated and neighborhoods wiped out in my home state of Kentucky. Roads that I traveled thousands of times in Bowling Green were unrecognizable. However, in both the past and present situations, the prevailing image in my heart is the people. The lesson I learned then and hold onto now is that every “thing” we have is temporary. The most important aspect of our lives is our relationships.
For a moment, these horrible events allow us to stop and focus on the people in our lives, both directly and globally. We can take stock of what we really value in this world and respond accordingly. We get to set aside our differences and our opinions so that we can embrace our common humanity. Strangely, it’s times like these where we truly get to see love revealed in so many ways. During this season of giving, let’s step up and be compassion in action. Let’s also remember that we don’t need a catastrophe to be at our best as human beings. Everyday is a good day to be generous and kind.