As Our Neighbors Recover from the Hurricane - October 15, 2018

How we keep our heads on straight in recovery:

- Don't compare yourself to someone else: From prayer to shopping to organizing to sharing information to boots on the ground, everyone has a part to play and all of it is valuable. Just do what you can, anything, and be a HELPER.

- Stop feeling guilty: For those of us who didn't get hit, stop regretting feeling grateful for your family and your resources. These are the things we're going to use to help.

- Grace for one another: Don't get upset about funny posts, pictures of a "normal" life or see a single snapshot and assume you know the whole picture. That person is trying to recharge their batteries, keep their kids and long-distance family from being scared and is doing what they can even if it's not apparent to you. Facebook will NEVER capture the whole story.

-Assume the best in people: I always tell our daughter, "You will find what you're looking for" so, friends, let's see the good in one another.

-With so much information coming so quickly, know that you don't need to do everything, just something: Assess your gifts, talents and resources and use them to help a family, an organization or an area. Prayers are being felt, sandwiches are feeding empty bellies, babysitting helps relieve parents, chainsaws are moving trees and giving in your overflow is helping to recover what's been lost. It's ALL going to move these communities FORWARD.

-Acknowledge the promptings of the Spirit to pay for a meal, groceries, repairs etc You'll never regret helping.

Emotions are high but we don't need to be run by them. We need one another and the blessing in all of this is finding each other in the recovery.