Making Preparations

This morning's news carries the horrific words and pictures from Japan.  An earthquake triggers a tsunami and loss of lives follows.  I am merely preparing to go to work this morning.  But for most of life there is truly no preparation.  Natural disasters occur regardless of our attempts to be ready for them.  Some of these tragic events come with little or no advance warning, despite our best early warning equipment.  We can make ready for our routines as creatures of habit, but what happens when a routine is turned upside down?  When lives are shaken or destroyed?  If you watch the aftermath of a natural disaster, you will see rescue efforts, desperate attempts to restore life to normal.  We clean up the mess and try as best we can to move on, because that is what life does--it goes on in spite of our losses.  Perhaps the only beauty that comes of tragedy is that it moves people to work together and to show care and concern for one another.  We come together in a way that reveals the best of humanity.  Let us strive to do that on a daily basis.  Let us come together and work for the best of all of us when there is NO tragedy involved.  We prepare for life's hardships by first understanding that God is still the creator, the life giver, the one constant in our lives.  Then we can look to one another, His creations, His earth, and see that He instilled in us this need to serve.  We please Him and we are at our best when we serve others.  Yesterday I wrote about abundance.  When we can truly look beyond what we think we lack, then we can give to one another out of the abundance that God provides.  Blessings and hope for a reflective, healing Lenten season to you all.