It warms my heart when I hear my kids pray about the people in Christchurch during our family prayers. We have no idea what life must be like for those who have no home and no longer have the comfort of their personal belongings around them. We continue to be grateful that no one was fatally hurt.

To get an idea of what the people of Christchurch have been through (not only the big earthquake, but constant aftershocks!) check out this site:

http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz – Time-lapse visualisation of the earthquake and aftershocks in Christchurch and Canterbury

My heart has also been heavy for a fellow blogger who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Amy is a mother to 3 children, and blogs at New Nostalgia.

She has bravely shared her journey with us:

http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/2010/09/cancer-diagnosis.html

http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/2010/09/finding-cancer.html

So, when we feel like we don’t know what to do, when we do not know how we can be of any use to those people we have never met, we pray.

We pray that they may feel strengthened and comforted during the difficult road ahead of them. We pray that an ounce of our love and concern will reach them in their darkest moments. Then we hug our loved ones a little bit tighter, be mindful of opportunities to serve and make any personal changes that need to be made (like getting the family emergency kit and plan in order, and adding monthly breast checks to the routine).

Through trials, I have seen people, even strangers… come together to support those in need. It’s a beautiful thing.