Help Me!
I’m stunned.
I had heard that surviving a disaster could be bad, but I never imagined it would be like this for me, my family, and my community.
It’s a lot worse than I expected.
Even if we do everything right, I can’t be certain that the people I love most will be safe.
What do I do now?
Where can I find help?
We’ve all seen news about disasters. The pictures and sound bites of earthquake zones, floods, armed conflict, famine, and epidemics give us a tourist-like montage of the chaos. But they don’t begin to convey the uncertainty, loss, and pain these events bring to the lives of the people affected.
Coping with what lies ahead may take every bit of our strength and ability—and even more.
We aren’t alone when we feel weary, weak, or inadequate. Others have needed help during difficult times too.
The following passages from the book of Psalms were written by King David, a man who was all too familiar with suffering and heartache. Perhaps he describes some of the feelings you’re experiencing.
Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails.Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed me the wonders of his love
when I was in a city under siege.
In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
Psalm 31:9–10, 21–22
What would you like to say to God about the disaster you have lived through and the impact it’s having on you today?