Emotional toll of a disaster

Sam, a homeowner in Cedar Rapids shared these words, "one minute I am sad, the next minute I am angry, the next minute I have hope, the next minute I can't think. I can't sleep at night and I have no energy. I just want to cry, but people tell me to suck it up and stop being so sad."

I have heard these thoughts expressed in different ways over and over. This is a crisis situation in the lives of people. It is so important just to let people talk. It is important to let people know that many of their emotions are normal. It is amazing to see the look on their face when they are reassured that they are not going crazy.

For some people they have the ability and strength to recover. For the sick and the elderly it is a much greater challenge. Can you imagine walking in to your home to find everything destroyed and then have to take load after load of all your possessions and add them to the pile of debris lined up along your street as far as you can see. Every time the homeowner takes another load to the curb another part of their life is thrown away.

As Christians in a disaster one of the greatest things we can do is listen. Go to these areas and ask questions and let people talk. Pray for people, it is a wonderful privilege and opportunity during a time like this.

We had the opportunity to pray for Sam on Thursday. When we met Sam again on Saturday she said, "I know God sent you to me. When you prayed for me on Thursday, I had tingles all over my body. God showed me that he cared."

Thanks God for His touch!!! He is the Healer!!!