Pastor Wiedmann's Corner
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Help is on the Way!
The cyclone sends a salty storm surge flooding across the low-lying river delta. The ground and the wells are ruined for years. The live stock drowns. Mud huts melt. Roads are inundated. Snakes and rodents scurry for high ground. Bloated bodies float by bringing disease and death along with them.
The earth trembles for over a minute. School buildings collapse burying the students who came to class. Cries are heard; little ones can be seen underneath rubble that cannot be moved. Helpless rescuers become victims themselves.
When Christians see disasters, we respond. We respond with mercy and compassion. We look for something to do, some way to help, and we look for that immediately. It's perfectly natural for the children of the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, to feel gut-wrenching pain of sympathy--our Father in heaven feels it too.
What a privilege we have! We can be the agents and representatives of the God of compassion. We can bring the love of God the Father to the world in practical, useful ways:
(1) Pray! God is our help (and theirs) in times of trouble.
(2) Give! There are many reliable agencies who help with disaster relief. We recommend considering the WELS Committee on Relief. http://www.wels.relief.net
(3) Go! WELS Kingdom Workers organizes relief teams who provide short-term and long-term aid opportunities. Often there are supporting role jobs that allow trained professionals to do the actual relief work.
(4) Learn! As we think ahead to a southern California earthquake or wild fire, consider what is needed first; what will others miss? How can we help without doing more harm than good?
(5) Act! While many disasters occur on the other side of the world, others, often on a smaller scale occur in our church and across the back fence. Take initiative. Go help!
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