Bigger Than Us

Does anyone else feel like there are so many things happening in this World of ours that are so much bigger than us? I'm referring to all these natural disasters. Tornadoes in the Midwest, Earthquakes in China, cyclones in Burma -- all with severely catastrophic outcomes. Thousands of human lives have been taken, thousands! Not to mention the livelihoods of countless others smashed to bits in countries and areas where those livelihoods mean the difference between life and death.

This morning I watched a video of mothers seriously grieving outside a leveled school in China, praying that their children would be pulled from the rubble alive. Now that I am a mother, I can not begin to imagine the agony, the pain, the anguish, the utter hopelessness and helplessness that these mothers are feeling. I never ever want to feel that way. I don't wish those feelings on my worst enemy. I can't imagine losing something that is 100% my life. Maddox is the most important thing to me. Protecting and loving and caring for him is my life. I care deeply for Tyler too, in a different way, on a different level. I have little control over the protection of his life as he is very independent. But Maddox is my responsibility. This new baby will be my responsibility. And to have that taken away in an instant by something that is so completely out of our control would be worse than devastating.

With all the pain and destruction in this world today caused by people themselves -- wars, contentions, murders, hurtful and hateful crimes -- these are all things controllable. What I mean is, these are all human actions that when you strip away the layers of reason and intention are controlled by human beings. I think all of these enormous natural catastrophes are a sign to us -- that things much much bigger than us can happen, things we can't predict, control or lessen. Things that we need to prepare for now.

I'm not trying to be morbid. But I am trying to reflect and understand the recent natural disasters that have hit our small World. The only thing that makes sense to me is that we are being taught that things much bigger than us can take hold of us and do more damage in 3 minutes than the arguments of men will ever do in a lifetime. I think it is a lesson that few will understand and even fewer will take to heart. If only these disasters were enough to make every war lord, every tyrant, every murderer, every world leader say, enough is enough, nature wreaks its own destruction and that is enough for our human hearts to take up and fix.

If there is one thing I want to pass on to my children, it is that there are always things bigger than us. Things we can't control or predict. But that with faith and preparation and hope and love we can rise above and put back together those things that become broken -- even if it is our own hearts and bodies.

Does that sound really idealistic? Kind of out of character for me? Well, maybe it is. But that is the beauty of reflection, isn't it? What you see may not be what you thought you would see. So here's to idealism and hope and faith and love and here's to the knowledge that my gosh things are so much bigger than us out there.

Now will somebody please bring back the sarcasm? It's almost pink and ruffly in here!