Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Weary in Doing Good

The parallels between the recent Haitian earthquake and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami are inescapable. Hopefully this isn't a portent of things soon to come.

The Indian Ocean earthquake started off a very troubled year including terrorist attacks, train derailments, and a record number of hurricanes, Katrina among them, plus more local issues. And we, as Americans and especially the American church, had to respond.

After a while I became emotionally numb. I simply couldn't care anymore. I had no more sympathy to give.

As the scriptures warn, I had grown "weary in doing good."

What do we do when we just can't care anymore?

We go on. We act as if we care. Caring is an emotion. Doing good is a choice.

We give money, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. We bind wounds and hug necks and do whatever else needs to be done.

It's trite but true: We are the only gospel many people hear. So we don't get a day off.

But we do get help.

Our Savior sent us a Counselor and Helper who works in, with, and through us. What we cannot do, He can do through us. And when we grow weary, He will give us strength.

4 comments:

Annette said...

Very true...we do get the help we need...if only a reminder of WHO we do this for. :)

Nancy said...

"Our Savior sent us a Counselor and Helper who works in, with, and through us. What we cannot do, He can do through us. And when we grow weary, He will give us strength."

Amen!

Dan Lower said...

Amen!

Tom Gilson said...

If we tried to keep up with all the pain and needs in the world on our own power, we would never make it. Thanks for a good post.