Enormity and perspective

I think it is safe to compare my situation to what we're seeing in New Orleans and conclude that we--despite deep troubles--were kept from great harm by God's Grace.

That is, of course, humbling and it drowns out the somewhat smaller thoughts that I consider on a daily basis and that have been the content of the things I've written.

Things we can do to help:

1. Prayer. That is always the starting point for the believer. Always. But it is only the starting point.
2. Look for immediate impacts within your community of faith and within your neighborhood. God may have a divine appointment planned for you that is easy for you to keep.
3. Partner with an organization like the Red Cross, the SBC North American Mission Board, or Texas Baptist Men (BGCT affiliated) and find out what specific needs YOU can meet.
4. Allow God to soften your heart through the hurt and difficulty of others...allow him to call you to personal action. The book of James--of course--explains why action is a proof of faith.

Instead of going past those general guidelines, I'm going to challenge you to approach God and seek his will for YOU in this situation. Let me put it this way:

God has a disaster recovery plan for Hurricane Katrina. It will deal with both the physical and the spiritual devastation that we see...and it will go beyond what is visible to us. That plan is more comprehensive than the plan that the local authorities put together, in part because it was planned with full knowledge of the event and deep understanding of the souls that are impacted.

Now imagine God wakes you up tonight and asks you to fulfill a specific role within HIS disaster recovery plan for New Orleans. As I've pointed out, I believe God is the one that brings out a unique relationship between each individual and himself. Many times it is based on one very simple thing: whether you obey him when he whispers in a quiet voice. Will you heed the call to serve in a specific way? Can you determine in your heart--right now--to do that if asked?

I asked Jen to be on the lookout for a way for us to help. I don't know, yet, what we will do. But I hope to start this evening answering that question. And I hope we can choose to do something as a family TONIGHT that helps in some specific way...to take a first step towards the full picture of how we fit into God's plan in this situation.

P.S. I can only imagine the sense of humiliation and loss of security these people are facing. But I can imagine it much better now than I could five years ago. Praise God for continuing to teach me!