Recently I visited a neighborhood that was devastated by the tornadoes in the Dallas, Texas area. This was the first time in my life that I have witnessed the devastation first hand from a tornado. The aftermath was tragic and there is probably no way to be prepared for seeing such destruction in person. However, in the midst of such tragedy, I was able to observe humanity at its best.
In the time that I spent in the neighborhood, multiple groups came by offering food and drink at no cost. Others were offering supplies such as tarps and totes for those in the neighborhood. Other groups were in the neighborhood cutting down trees and offering to help with clean up as needed.
There has been criticism against people of faith for offering thoughts and prayers during tragedies instead of what some consider tangible help. I would like for those critical people to see how people of faith do rally and offer physical help along with thoughts and prayers for those dealing with tragedy.
The majority of the people that I saw offering help to tornado victims were from faith based organizations and churches. It warmed my heart to see all the different groups and individuals come out and try to make an awful situation just a little more bearable for people. When I think about how I might be in a disaster situation, I tend to think I would be a bit of a basket case.
I love seeing the good side of humanity. I probably watch the news too much and always hear about the bad that we do to each other. Even though there are those out there looking to make a bad situation worse in disaster situations, I think the majority of people are looking to make the situation better. I just want to recognize those making a positive contribution in this world. Keep up the good work.
