Sunday, September 26, 2010

They Will Not Come For You

We saw a devastating picture of human need when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans a few years ago. People who depended on the government and other organizations lost their entire support. They didn't know what to do or how to help themselves so they waited, some with patience, some without. Frustration grew and violence broke out while they waited for someone - anyone - to come and rescue them.

In some cases, nobody came. Ever.

The lesson was learned by some.

While there are safety networks through the government and private organizations, churches and charities, those networks can be overwhelmed quickly. Snarled communications, missed cues, lack of information, exhaustion and apathy kept help from getting through.

The chances of you facing a natural disaster of this size aren't all that great, but the chances of you facing your own personal disaster continue to climb and that can be just as devastating. Unemployment and economic uncertainty continues to plague the US and the world. The government has paid unemployment benefits in huge amounts, but there will be an end to them. When the checks stop, when the jobs still aren't there, will you be ready?

Maybe you still have your job and maybe you're making your payments and even putting money in savings. You don't really feel as if the recession has touched you, although you probably know someone it has.

It may not - ever. But why take a chance? You cannot depend on the safety nets in place right now. They may not be there if - when - you need them.

Preparing for personal devastation doesn't sound like a fun way to spend time or money, but it could make all the difference to you and your family.

Remember what some of the Katrina survivors said: "They will not come for you."

If "they" are not there to help you, to feed you, to give you shelter and clothing and dignity... who will?

Photo courtesy of Morguefile

4 comments:

  1. Pat,
    How true this is and what a great reminder! I already feel that the safety net has been pulled and with disasters of one kind or another plaguing mankind we cannot say for certain whether we are safe or not. Where I grew in in New England the temps rose to 102 degrees this past summer. This is unheard of for that part of the country! Floods are also common and can strike at anytime anywhere! It is ALWAYS BEST to ward of disaster than to have your life hang in the balance afterward! e are spending less at my house and saving more and stocking up on canned goods and the like simply because you never know. Remember too to keep a backpack stored with emergency supplies including a flashlight and extra batteries, first aid kit and food stuff for every member of your household! This is the reality we live in right now!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the reminder about keeping a backpack handy with basic necessities. Our world is becoming less and less secure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with your post about preparation, we should all take those steps, but please, spare us the Katrina victimhood mentality.

    Frankly, more people, churches, resources, money, supplies, transportation vehicles and yes, even government went to Katrina victims than to many other disasters, both before and since. And the money and resources are still being poured on there. Yet, we only hear about the poor Katrina victims. Here in Missouri, we experienced a worse disaster with flooding and no one in the nation heard us whining and moaning about how "no one came" because we were too busy helping ourselves and each other in the true American way, not waiting for the government to bail us out while we sat on our butts.

    Emily

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for your perspective, Emily. My point wasn't meant to be so much about Katrina as it was to point out that we need to prepare so that we can help ourselves and each other. If we do that, we will be more able to face our own personal disasters as well as local or national ones much better.

    ReplyDelete