Overcoming Suffering
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.”
~ Helen Keller
Lately, I have been thinking about some of the most devastating tornadoes that we have experienced in the states. There have been tornadoes that have wiped out entire cities. Think about any one of those. Now, imagine that tornado staying “on location” for over two days while it continued devastating the land. While you are at it, multiply the size of that tornado several times over. Now you might appreciate what the people in the Bahamas put up with while Hurricane Dorian remained stationary over them.
That hurricane wreaked total devastation over a vast amount of territory. It brought up storm surges eighteen to twenty-three feet high. That water swept over the land and took many buildings down. It washed them right off of their foundations. The waters trapped people in the upper floors of their homes, that is, if they were lucky enough to have their homes stand. Some people had to cut openings from their attics to their roofs so that they could escape the waters that would drown them.
In the midst of all of this, people in the lower Bahamas were stockpiling emergency supplies so that as soon as the hurricane left the area, they could rush supplies to those in need. The US Coast Guard was actively rescuing people stranded as well as rushing supplies in as well. Many people had staged themselves to be able to help as soon as they could get in.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” I thought of the devastation of Hurricane Dorian as I saw this quote from Helen Keller. She absolutely hit the nail on the head. The world is full of suffering, yes. However, there are many ways to overcome suffering. The sooner that we engage in the things that are necessary to overcome suffering, the better off everyone will be, including ourselves.
While we might not be suffering at the moment, helping others who are suffering does us a world of good. We might not need the help but we definitely need to help. And there will come a time, sooner than we might imagine, when the shoe will be on the other foot and we will be the ones in need. As we would hope someone would be there for us, we need to be there for others.
That is really what is at the heart of the gospels. Jesus continuously reminded us of the necessity to take care of one another. If you see someone’s plight, be the remedy.
FAITH ACTION: Have you been ignoring someone in need? Make sure you reach out to help that person today. Pray, as well, for those who are in need and who have no one to help them.