Overwhelmed

I am getting terrible at posting Thankful Thursday. It shouldn't be happening, because I have SO many things to be thankful for. So many things. My heart is breaking tonight for the people of the Phillippines. I don't even know what to say or how to feel about it, really. A big part of me keeps imagining....what if we were in that situation? I can't imagine, as a mother, being there. Likely losing some or all of my family in those few horrific hours. And if any did survive, not being able to find food for my children...losing our home and every item we own on this earth. My heart breaks for the mothers and the fathers.  We are so blessed. My children are not sleeping right now even though they should be, but the are tucked into warm beds with full bellies and a fire crackling away in the wood stove in a home that Daniel worked all day to improve so that our running water wouldn't freeze this winter. When I stop to really think about it, I am completely overwhelmed.

But you know what? All of these things...it's not because God loves us more, or because He is here and not in the Phillippines. We are always so quick to blame God in times like this. "Where is He? How could a loving God allow pain and suffering like that?" I believe with all my heart that God is good. And he is there, even in the midst of the devastation, and I would even venture to say that there are people over there bowing their heads in thankful prayers.

Slightly changing the direction here for a minute. Look at the universe. We can only see a tiny portion of it, even with our most powerful technology. Yet in all of the vast space that we know of, there is nothing, NOTHING that even comes close to comparing with Earth. Not even close. Not only did God lovingly create a planet for us that could sustain life in it's basic form, he made it beyond beautiful. He made it flourish with millions upon millions of varieties of living things...millions of colours, and more nooks, crannies, and gullies than we will ever be able to explore. Not only that, but he set everything perfectly in place so that the earth could produce more than enough food, oxygen and water for every living thing. That's right, EVERY one.
The conditions that the people in the Phillippines and many many other countries in the world are living in is not the fault of God. It is our fault. It is the direct result of politics, selfishness, and I'm sure other factors.

I am not going to delve into the depths of political balance here...but my point is simple.

There is always ALWAYS something to be thankful for, and;
God has provided everything we need for every person on earth to survive and thrive. Everything.

Tonight, I am overwhelmed. There are so many emotions.