Why the Harvey Flood Victims Have an Edge on the Rest of Us

So many have lost everything they own and it is breaking my heart. And yet, I can’t help but think of the appointed day for all of us when we will each lose everything we own. Did we honor God with our lives, did we love others in His name, did we love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves? Did we lay up treasures in Heaven or did we spend our lives working for these material things that we cannot carry with us? I’m so humbled by the testimonies of so many of these flood victims. They’ve got it right. They are seeing the joy amidst the heartache. They are more thankful for their lives and for their loved ones than they’ve ever been. We should be “touched with the feeling of their infirmities” and we should feel an unreal compassion that plays out in action. But we should also “envy” their mindset. It’s a mindset we were all meant to have. Perhaps these flood victims should be the ones feeling sorry for us. We who will so easily go about our days fighting over petty issues with family members or who will spend so much time worrying about that sale at the store. We who will be angry for hours over a comment we read under a political post and we who work our lives away trying to “live the dream” and “keep up with the Jones'”. Yep. These people may be dealing with some of the most heartbreaking times of their lives, but they have an edge on us. They know today beyond a shadow of a doubt what really matters. Faith, family and friends. At the end of the day, at the end of our lives…that’s all that matters. Have we prepared ourselves for what’s to come for all of us? Have we repented of our sins and trusted in Christ as our Savior, as our Lord, as our Purpose, as our Entire Meaning for Life? Have we lived a life, not centered around things that will rust, get dusty or break down, but instead investing in family and friendships? God’s way all along has been to love our neighbors as ourselves. What an extremely beautiful picture we have seen this past week. Long gone are the ugly reports of rioting and fighting and foolishness. In its place has been amazing testimonies of brother helping brother and stranger helping stranger. What a rare thing in history we are all witnessing. With tragedy comes togetherness. May we all remember these times. May we long to have this same mindset of gratefulness to simply be alive. “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 150:6) #Harvey #Reflections #LoveThyNeighbor #LooktotheLord #Blessed #TexasStrong