Just to have this thought says a lot about you. Don’t berate yourself over not doing this…but use it as a learning tool. I’m sure they’ll be a ‘next time’…there always is.

Most folks don’t take the time to look beyond their own little comfort zones….but YOU did. Perhaps, you would have liked to do more…yet, we need to “grow into” this. If it were automatic, all the needs around us would be met.

While I was living outside the USA (nearly 30 years)…there was so much need, it was overwhelming at times. Yet, I know I could only do so much with what I had. Each nation, each continent had needs particular to that region.

Now, that I’m home permanently, the indifference I see all around me is astounding. The ‘tug’ in your heart to “DO” something…gives a glimpse into your heart to not sit idly by.

I trust that the next time a similar situation happens you’ll be ready. It may not even be a monetary situation, perhaps, it’ll be someone that really hurting due to abuse, or someone that’s ill. The one thing that’s a “hot button” issue for me personally are all those that have been so terribly wounded by “churches”…there’s a whole host of people that have been left shipwrecked…and it appears no one cares.

You also said,’Quickly, I shut down any emotion that threatened to come to the surface”
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Never be ashamed of showing emotion. The idea that someone can show such empathy and compassion is a gift in and of itself. To allow that empathy to show is very healing to the one that’s hurting (this I know for a fact…as it’s helped me more times than I can count)

If you read my post titled…Heatache At The Hands of The “Church”….you’ll know exactly why I said that.

As I said before…SteadyCat, you rock!

Michelle

*waves at Michelle* I’m going to come over and read your blog. I just posted in the blog of a priest speaking about the sexual abuse of children. He (and the church) has conveniently blamed it on the homosexuals. I had to say that I thought when adults sexually molest children – it’s called pedophilia or something other than homosexuality. And I guess we can ignore the fact that little girls are molested as well. People cannot heal anything with the church until they start telling the truth. I’m really fed up with the pretense.