Tornadoes #3

The weatherman is once again predicting strong thunderstorms, high winds, hail, and tornadoes. Several towns in Oklahoma are still picking through the rubble looking for anything salvageable. Many people from this area have been volunteering to help those affected. "Good Samaritans"
 I can, and do pray for those affected. It's very hard to let go of things that you have accumulated throughout your time here on earth. I can tell you that things can be replaced and some things we can do without. Sometimes devastation comes suddenly and sometimes it is a slow process, due to a number of reasons. Neglect, depression, and financial need.
 I have been in homes not far from my own where I could see basketball size openings in the outside walls, broken windows covered with cardboard, no bathrooms, no heat or AC, and infestations of all kinds of pests. I felt like I needed a shower after just walking through a few of those places. These spots are somewhat isolated and not widespread or considered normal.
We have Christian people here who are doing wonderful things for needy people. I really have a great deal of respect for "Good Samaritans" wherever they show compassion by being a good neighbor.
This is the basic part of the story of the good Samaritan

Luke 10: verse 30-37 Jesus said
 “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

What is unique about this story is that Jesus was referring to a traveler, a priest, and a Samaritan man. Those groups did not usually associate with each other. However, the Samaritan showed compassion to a stranger, whereas the priest and the Levite went out of their way to avoid the beaten man.
We deal with the same types of issues even today. Compassion can be very hard to learn from a book. Compassion is something that is best learned by jumping in and getting your hands dirty.

I really considered not ending with a joke, because of the loss of life and devastation caused by last weeks tornadoes.  If I offend anyone, I'm sorry, but I believe that- a merry heart does good like a medicine.

A husband and his wife were sound asleep when suddenly the phone rang.
The husband picked up the phone and said, "Hello? How the heck do I know? What do I look like, a weatherman?" He then slammed the phone down and settled into bed. 
"Who was that?" asked his wife.
"I don't know. It was some guy who wanted to know if the coast was clear." 

Much Love, Dennis