Today is Wednesday, September 7th, 2005; Karen's Korner #628
As Americans deal with the reality of the devastation connected with Hurricane Katrina, does anyone but me tire of the name calling on whose fault it is or was?
Was it Bush's fault? Or the federal government's and some of its people? The Louisana governer? Or the New Orleans mayor? Black versus white? Rich versus poor? What about the people themselves, shouldn't have they heeded some of the advance warnings of the impending disaster? The name calling and rhetoric makes it hard for me to listen sometimes. Maybe it is because we don't do some of that type of thing at home. But I don't like it!
It reminds me of the days more than twenty years ago when I served on our local school board. The school policy at the time was to bring students before the board when all other methods of discipline had failed. Students were asked to bring along at least one parent.
Many times the student would tell of a teacher who was picking on him/her. The parents would be angry at the staff or the child. Sometimes the teacher(s) would feel betrayed by the principal or the superintendent for not backing them up properly. As I would listen, I would think to myself and may have said one time, "The student, the teacher, all of the teachers, the prinicipals, the superintendent, the board, and the community, WE have all failed! Otherwise, this kid wouldn't be in trouble today. Now that we have identified who is responsible, let's get to work to get it fixed. This fifteen-year-old is in trouble!"
Maybe we are all to blame for what happened in the south....including God!!
I read something lately about a minister who had some miraculous thing happen in his 20-plus year ministry. God gently reminded the minister, "I can do in two minutes, what has taken you more than more 20 years to accomplish!" Maybe we (people and governments) will never be able to completely prepare or erase what God can do in two minutes........maybe we aren't that smart or powerful!
And maybe God doesn't hesitate to remind us just how powerful He is!
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This is Jeff White's daily devotional e-mail from early last week:
I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard
until that Day what has been entrusted to me.
-- 2 Timothy. 1:12
One great benefit can always be received from life's troubles and set-backs, they make us realize our dependence upon divine mercy and power. I spoke yesterday to a former co-worker. She was to (or may??) retire today. She had the Army move all of her belongings into her dream retirement home last Thursday. Her home is only two miles from the beach and adjoins a wildlife refuge. One small problem; it was, I repeat was, in Biloxi, Mississippi. The house and everything she owned is gone.
I called her yesterday morning and her comment was, "I have nothing left, but at least God gave us enough warning to get out with our lives". Always remember the admonition of Matthew in 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
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