Loss

As I wrote my check for the house payment on Wednesday, I thought about all the people who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina. What they would give to be able to make their mortgage payment this month! Usually, I kind of grumble when I pay this bill - but this time, I paused and said a grateful prayer of thanksgiving that I have my home and the ability to pay for it.

What would it be like to lose everything? What would it be like to be roaming the streets, searching for loved ones, searching for food and water, searching for a safe place to rest? What would it be like not knowing what you were going to do for employment? How much despair would you be feeling? How much anger? How much depression? How can the human mind even begin to comprehend the ramifications of all this loss?

As a counselor, I am humbled by the stories which I hear from my clients. The amount of pain that people can withstand is amazing to me. But even more amazing is their resiliency and ability to survive, despite the pain. They are able to draw from within an ability to go beyond their situation and make a better life for themselves. The Chinese have a proverb which points out that out of every crisis, there comes the opportunity to grow and change as a result of it. Hopefully, the victims are able to get beyond this horrible tragedy, and start rebuilding their lives - literally and figuratively. It is my prayer that these people, each and every one of them, are able to find the strength and courage to start over. It is my prayer that they do not lose faith in their God to help them through this. It is my prayer that this brings our nation together again, and that this doesn't become a political quagmire of blaming others for what can only be considered a tragic act of nature.