I snapped the photo above just moments before that storm cloud opened up and poured on us as we reached our car. The sky darkened, the mountain loomed, and the force of the rain and wind pounded on the roof and the hood. The storm looked as though it would last forever.
To me the photo, with its menacing cloud threatening the structure already in ruins, depicts the news headlines this week:
The Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan, desperate measures of the people to escape, the enslavement of women and children, violence and shootings, Christians and others being hunted down for slaughter.
The devastating earthquake in Haiti, which killed thousands of people and destroyed 30,000 homes, plus the country’s ongoing government corruption, gang violence, and abject poverty.
Raging fires on the west coast of the US, displacing families, destroying homes and property and thousands of acres of forest.
COVID numbers continuing to rise.
And those are just the top stories. There are tragedies happening everywhere all the time, on a major scale and on a personal level. I have friends right now who are living through their own personal tragedies, and you probably do too.
Here on Glimsen I don’t usually write about headlines, or politics, or world events, or the culture. You can go anywhere online to read opinions on them. It’s not because I do not have opinions, or that I have stuck my head in the sand, or that I think you can just look at the color blue and be happy. None of that is true.
Rather, the point of Glimsen is to offer a quiet space for you to come for glimpses of beauty in words and images. To point to Hope and to give you an alternative to the violence, hatred, and ugliness that bombards us online—and sometimes in real life—every day.
This week reminded me that when I hear about natural or man-made disasters, I often feel helpless. Maybe you feel that way, too. Then I remembered a post written by Crystal Paine, a blogger who started out years ago sharing coupons and discounts but now shares her life with her readers. In that post she writes about what to do when you think you can't make a difference, and I am going to share it with you again.
But first, I want you to know that you, my readers, are on my mind right now. I think of you all the time, every day, and about how I might serve you better.
And just as Crystal does at the end of her post, I invite you to email me at glimsenblog at gmail dot com if you are struggling or feeling overwhelmed. I will keep your message confidential and pray for you, just like I'm praying for the people whose lives are in ruins this week.
Scripture says that the prayers of God’s people are powerful and effective. Because I’m a follower of His Son Jesus, He hears my prayers, and those of other followers too. My hope is not in my prayers but in the Lord.
Praying is the first and best way for me to make a difference in times like these, and I am honored to do it.
Click here to read Crystal’s post. I hope it encourages you too.
At Glimsen, I share glimpses of the beauty around us in nature, the arts, and the unexpected. Click the green button below to get my posts delivered to your inbox once a week, and you'll also get a little printable gift of beauty just for signing up.
