Tsunamis striking the coastal areas of the west, rivers cresting in the middle and flooded land to the east ... Is it time to build an ark?
Without a doubt, the Tsunami that hit Japan was destructive and devastating! The damage to Japan’s coast is incomprehensible to most of us, but add to that the emotions of the rising death toll and those missing … It's unbearable.
Viewing the pictures and watching videos of the massive waves sweeping homes, cars, boats, planes, buildings and people from sight is unbelievable. To say the damage is extensive is an understatement!
Hours later, a less destructive wave struck the states to the west. While the damage was incomparable to the devastation of Japan, the punch had power, leaving damage in its wake.
In other headlines, flooding has been a topic of great concern. Heavy rains and melting snow has wreaked havoc in the Midwest and eastern coastal areas of the United States. Rivers are cresting, communities underwater and creeks continuously overflowing into farmland, causing disasters of another kind.
One television news station announced, “The state of New Jersey is flooded,” showing aerial views of nothing but water with stranded survivors, peeking rooftops and vehicles that were not made to float. Another reported the Ohio River sweeping away a man’s dream home he’d been building for 10 years. Footage captured the structure falling into the rushing water, disappearing as it drifted downstream.
My intent is not to relate these natural disasters by comparing their degrees of devastation or minimizing their impact. I’m emphasizing the emotions of the people who have recently experienced the commonalities of tremendous fear, heartache and individual loss as a result of destructive waters. Based on my life experiences, I cannot fathom or begin to comprehend these tragedies.
Since last week, I repeatedly find myself grieving and praying for neighboring strangers, as well as a country I’ve never really thought of before now. Nevertheless, my heart hurts for all of them!
Perhaps the words of a rescued survivor struck my thoughts the deepest, increasing the realization of truly being afraid. After eight hours of being surrounded by floodwater, the man pulled from wastewater and floating debris said, “My biggest fear was not dying. It was seeing and wondering what is in the water with me.”
What I have also been thinking of, as I look at Japan, is much the same as what I thought of after Katrina, "What about the people like me?" What are those with chronic and life-threatening illnesses doing? A month ago, the Midwest was hit with the worst blizzard in 10 years. The weathermen were predicting it for days before and I made sure I had all my medications filled. I can't imagine what it is like to be living among ruins, with no shelter, no clear path to walk, nowhere to sit and rest...and then, no medication on top of it. To have to go without the very things that keep me going, more than food even, each day; to go through an arthritic flare and meds. withdrawal on top of losing every other basic need. I pray that relief efforts are also addressing this issue. And I thank God for the sunset coming through my window as I lie in my bed typing this and letting the dinner meds I just swallowed take effect.
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