Devastation ...

Devastation comes in many forms. This week it has come to many parts of Louisiana by way of a hurricane named Gustav. And while residents of the gulf coast are not strangers to the havoc a hurricane can cause, but no matter how many hurricanes you might live through it still doesn't lessen the pain the next one can bring.

I don't live on the gulf coast. Here in central Louisiana, we are used to lots of rain and power outages due to hurricane remnants passing through. Gustav's remnants were particularly tough ... tornadoes, flash flooding and other natural disasters have made certain the Gustav is a name we won't soon forget. Here are some pictures from my hometown, which is slightly northeast of Alexandria, Louisiana.

These two houses suffered damage from a tornado. One house totally lost its roof ... and by lost I don't just mean that the roof was totally damaged or taken off of the house. I mean, it is LOST. No one knows where it went. You can see debris in yard, which is the insulation and such. But the shingles and frame are totally missing. I heard the family was inside the house when the tornado hit, and from what I understand everyone emerged unharmed physically. What an amazing blessing!





In my parish, there is wide-spread flooding. Here are some pictures of some of the worst of the flooding, and it is plain to see that the hardest hit were those who had the least resources to begin with.











As I drove around taking these pictures today, I stopped to ask anyone standing around or working if they cared that I was taking pictures. Everyone gave me permission and all asked me if I could use my pictures to send off for help from FEMA. It saddens me greatly that first thought for these people who had lost it all was to turn to our government for help. It's not FEMA's job or Bush's job or Jindal's job or any other government official's job to tend to these hurting people. It is the job of the body of Christ. Somehow, over the years, we have given up the joy and the privilege we have (as servants of Christ) to serve our fellow man ... to help and to give and to encourage. Where are the people who are willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the least of these?

As a parent, I know how tough it is to show my children the hardness of this world. I wish I could shield them from it, and so many times that is exactly what I choose to do. But unfortunately, natural disasters and suffering in poverty are part of our fallen world. Today, I'm taking my children right there to the middle of it. I want them to remember Gustav ... not for what they suffered or even for how others suffered. I want them to remember what God did right in the middle of all the yuck ... how even floods and tornadoes can't stop the goodness of God. I want my children to know this: We serve a living God, who wants us to share His amazing love with the rest of the world. We can't do that when we sit at home, watching our TV or playing our video games.

One last picture ... my favorite, too.



What a great reminder! I serve a mighty God, who knew exactly when and where the wind would blow last night, which trees would fall from it and which ones would remain standing. Yes, it is human nature to look around us and see devastation. But what peace to know that God is walking through it with us. What joy there is knowing that even now we can anticipate the wonderful way He will make it beautiful again.