When Breakfast Brings A Burden: How Can I Eat When Others Are In Desperate Need?

With the devastation in the Philippines from Super Typhoon Haiyan we are all reminded of how much we have to be thankful for.  Personally I am often overwhelmed with emotion with thoughts of it and the bombardment via news media can be crushing. Overwhelming too is trying to comprehend the scope of what it must be like for them which from all accounts is far worse than our technology is able to allow us to see.  And I know probably think about it too much in my empathy. Lately I am finding my self trying to work out what I should or could do with the knowledge I have of the need. But have no idea what to that is...it is just so big! Where does one start when the need is so great and helplessness is reality?

As I made myself a bowl of hot cereal this morning, the suffering souls in the Philippines crossed my mind again. The stark contrast of my blessings and their need gave me pause and I stopped to give thanks to God for this most basic of supply and asked for His help for those suffering...but the experience didn't stop there for me like it usually does.

Facebook timeline post November 14, 2013:  "Day 14 - thankfulness - I am thankful for the simplest most basic supply of food and water which today became so much more."

As I took that first spoonful of hot cereal into my mouth I found I could not get it down when a wave of emotion laden thought of those in desperate need came over me; my heart was overwhelmed.  I struggled with the feeling of being so blessed to have food and water in abundance and not knowing what if anything I could do to help these suffering souls.  It was not guilt but true compassion and it was a strange dichotomy of emotion, this feeling of being blessed but feeling so utterly helpless and wanting so badly to help.

The blessing of supply God has given me in juxtaposition of the need of others surprised me sending my heart to my throat, effectively closing off my ability to swallow for that one moment.  It was just long enough to make me ask, "How could I eat when others had none?"  Like so many of us I am wanting to put my hand to some work that will make a difference in times of tragedy like this.  I want to help my neighbor, to be a part of meeting their need.

As I began to partake of this simple supply of food it suddenly transformed and became not only sustenance for my body, but a catalyst in my heart for wanting to serve.  I took that first swallow and before I could eat more and with every bite it seemed I was praying for how I might help, praying for guidance and discernment beyond the blinding emotions of sorrow for their struggle.   I must remind myself to not take up a fools mission in the strong emotional bath I so often find myself in when I consider the gravity of the suffering of others, it will lead to little good.  My obedience to God's will is what will accomplish what is best and accomplish the most possible good, as it does in all situations...so I wait and pray.

As I considered the great need for food and water in the Philippines I was also reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 urging me again to not worry, not just for my own need this time, but for the great need of this myriad of hungry thirsty others in the world, especially in the Philippines.  So I will wait for His direction and ready myself to serve, whatever that is.  If His direction is only to pray I will be glad, as prayer is the currency of Heaven.  And as I pray I will remember that once centuries ago a widow gathered empty jars which God filled with oil to meet the needs of her and her son, and on the hillside after Jesus spoke, thousands were fed when God multiplied a pitiful amount of bread and fish and everyone went away satisfied.  All of this happened when people were obedient to God's direction and these are only two of many accounts.  I know it doesn't always turn out with miracle provision, but it does give me hope and an understanding of the character and capability of God to meet any need.

Matthew 6:26 - Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
So I give thanks for this simplest of supplies and ask God to help me take on His compassion that will, as He wills, bring aid to others. 

Every act, every prayer, chips away at the mountainous need before us. Lord help us help the suffering. ~Patty Hicks~


Copyright © 2013 by Patty Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.

And Yet I Do Not Fear: Thoughts After the Boston Marathon Bombing

Yesterday, April 15, 2013, 2 bombs explode near the finish line of the Boston Marathon…3 dead, 144 injured that we know of today.  I cannot wrap my mind around the senselessness of this event.  Why do people feel this kind of act is necessary?  Such acts are beyond my comprehension and I struggle to understand…we all do.

Those bombs tore relative peace from the streets of Boston and the lives of thousands of people.  Again terror has entered our reality; forced upon us by hate-filled individuals who have sought to cause us to fear them, have sought some sick retribution in their twisted self-righteousness.  Even here on the other side of the continent I feel the concussion from this terror filled blast.  Honestly my heart and mind are tempted to fear as I struggle with the why but this morning in stead of fearing I find I am looking to the heavens, to my God and I am not afraid; I do not understand and yet I am not afraid.  I have been deeply shaken yes, but I am not afraid, I pray and cry, but I am not afraid.

My heart weeps for the loss of the little 8 year old who was killed, weeps for the ones who died and for those physically injured.  I weep for those loved ones the blast left torn, for the damage done in the hearts and minds of all who are touched by this event across this nation and across the world.  I weep for the painful struggle I know many will have to endure as they heal…struggle in their bodies of pain, in their heart and minds to not give up as they overcome the pain they feel.  I weep in prayer for those with hidden injuries that only God can reach in to touch in those heavily guarded places of the heart.  Those injuries that might break open a hardened heart to their need for the Savior…wounds that go deeper than flesh, injuring the sense of peace and the comfort of the safety we have known.

I look to God and understand that He saw this.  He saw it coming.  He knows who did it and why.  Knowing this does not make it easy and I find I am tempted to want to know why He did not intervene but stop short of asking.  God so often does things outside of human understanding and honestly even if we knew it may not bring satisfaction.  It is enough for me that I know the character of my God and His ultimate purpose to use what the enemy meant for evil for His good and for His glory somehow.  It is enough for me that I know His ways are not our ways and that this world is fallen and evil resides here and will until Jesus returns to claim His bride…until Christ returns to judge the living and the dead.

I do not strive to understand things to great for me regarding this senseless, evil act, but only strive with the love of Christ to carry in prayer those affected by this terrible event before my Heavenly Father and to ask that those who are responsible will be brought to justice.  So I pray for strength of heart and spirit for those attending the wounded and for their families.  I pray that the goodness of God will surround those who have been wounded, His comfort, His peace…sheltered beneath His wings in this terrible storm of affliction.  I pray also that lives will be shaken enough to realize their need for Jesus, the hope for the hopeless.  The song “He Is Our Peace” courses through my mind as I pray…(Father we long for peace outwardly and find none, may we look to You for peace inwardly, eternally.)

I know that even if and when the perpetrator is found and convicted, this will not bring and end to evil here, it is only one more event in many we will suffer along the timeline of this earth's history.  We have for centuries been spared violence at the hand of our enemies here in our country, separated from those who would seek to do us harm and for many decades have not had to look terror in the eyes as they do daily in other parts of the world.  But it seems those days are fading, coming to and end, and the days are darkening as a way has been left open for such men to do their worst here.  So I pray for faith that will not fail, for a heart of greater understanding…and for His mercy.  I pray that we will see God’s goodness, actually I know we will, even though the perpetrator meant this thing for evil, but I still pray and ask for it.

Lord God, Lord Almighty, I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, May we all watch how we speak about this and remember that vengeance is Yours and give You room to enact that vengeance as You see fit.  Keep our hearts from seeking retribution and from calling blame!  Help us to walk in the fruit of the Spirit and help us to do Your will.  Help us to be Jesus to those around us who are struggling to understand and may Your peace be upon us and evident to others.  Help us to not sin in our anger over this event but help us to love as Jesus loves, to pray for our leaders and our enemies.  Be glorified in us today. 

There Is No Making Sense of Violence

A DIFFICULT DAY
This was a difficult day.
My mind trying to make sense of violence
Violence that makes no sense
My heart bruised from Tuesday's shooting in my town,
Shoppers in Clackamas Town Center, friends, family, neighbors gunned down in cold blood...
Our community rocked...it made no sense
Violence never does

Today's violence eclipses even the fresh emotions of Tuesday's tragedy here.
So many dead, so many children dead,
So many mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers suddenly, violently robbed of hugging their loved one again. 
This was a most difficult day.

Those shot are all strangers to me
Yet it is as if they are all my family
As my heart wraps itself up in mourning for the loss of ones loved
As I see the shattered heart on the face of the mother screaming in pain into her cell phone...
The children..a sister with a comforting hand on the shoulder of her frightened younger brother

I sit alone in my living room and cannot stop thinking of their pain
And wanting it to make sense, praying God will make it make sense
So it won't hurt so bad!
The loss, the horror, the torn lives
This is a most difficult day...
Because there is no making sense of violence.


This morning after my husband left for work and I had eaten my breakfast I opened up my laptop to Facebook and was greeted with horrific news. It was 7am Pacific Standard Time. It is now 4pm and I found it nearly impossible to leave this place of deep sorrow for the sudden and violent loss of loved ones those Newton Connecticut are feeling today.  I am sure others of you may be feeling much the same as I am, but my grief has been magnified by the violent taking of lives earlier this week in my town of Portland Oregon at the Clackamas Town Center shooting.  It made this a most difficult day. 

I am a person who is strongly empathetic and these events have left me unable to set it aside so much of the day has been filled with prayer for it is all I know to do when my heart is so burdened and I understand so little.  I know God saw everything and for reasons known only to Himself He allowed this horrific violence to occur.  I do not understand...God knows this.  Many will ask how a loving God could allow such a thing to happen.  I do not have the answer.

Bad things, really bad things happen to good people and have from the beginning of time.  I can only pray that some good, actually I am praying for some great good to be born out of the horrific events of this week in our nation.  I pray that bitterness won't win in the hearts of those who have lost loved ones.  I pray that we will not turn to anger ourselves to try and solve what we believe to be the problem in our society that brought these things about.  We don't understand, maybe we will never understand why either of these young men took to deadly force to satisfy the completely selfish evil desire that was inside of them.  I pray we might rise above arguments that pit one against another until we all want to vomit from hearing so much of it from our friends, neighbors and strangers.  I pray that somehow God will bring wisdom to our leaders that will provide better safety for all of us...but most of all I pray for God to change hearts. 

Today was a most difficult day, I pray that tomorrow will bring hope and healing and comfort to those who need it most.

For the people of Newton Connecticut and surrounding communities and the people here in my city affected by unthinkable tragedy, you are in my thoughts and prayers.  May God have mercy.

Copyright © 2012 by Patty Hicks

All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All reviews must include author's name and a link back to this blog.