More than a billion tremors

Ever watched a movie or read a book that left you in tears? One that pulled on your heartstrings and stirred your emotions. Or one that left you feeling inspired, challenged and motivated to do more with what you have been blessed with. I do read a lot and have a good fair movies that have had that effect on me but I will not list them here because this post really isn’t about scripted movies and novels. Books and films do take us into other worlds and these worlds do sometimes have the ability to inspire, sadden or draw on the compassionate side of our being.I will come back to the books and movies at a later stage but for now, allow me to rewind the years a bit to certain events in the not-so-distant past.

The month was December and the year was 2004. I had just had my first baby. I remember switching on the telly and being greeted with news that left me in tears and struggling to fully comprehend the magnitude of this particular catastrophe. A tsunami had mercilessly swept through Indonesia. The devastation and loss of human lives was unimaginable.

It is never possible to accurately predict the damage that an impending storm will leave behind before it actually hits. Over a year ago we watched in horror as a massive earthquake wrecked havoc and destruction of an unimaginable magnitude in Haiti. We watched as devastated and wounded people searched through the rubble for their loved ones, young and old. Most of us watched honestly kind of helplessly wondering how and what we could do to help or at least alleviate the suffering for the survivors of this tragedy. Would they have the backbone to cope with the pain and trauma of surviving such a blow from nature. A few days later,while the survivors were still trying to wake themselves up from what they were hoping was just a nightmare,there were aftershocks,as if to give them that pinch to let them know that they really were awake. More devastation followed upon the already wounded and weeping land.Yet again,the survivors wondered if they would make it through, given what they had endured and experienced in the first incident.Many lives were lost, many others wounded. It was as if there was an invisible hand strangling the life out of the precious souls of this land.

Since then there have been more natural disasters spread around the world :earthquakes,tsunamis,fires,cyclones and floods which have left their imprints on not just the land but on the physical, emotional, spiritual and financial spheres of people all across the globe. Because of the scale of damage from these natural disasters, they have grabbed the attention of the world and caused those even in the unaffected areas to stop and ponder on the fleeting nature of our earthly lives as well as arousing compassion...that stirring that comes naturally to a human being when confronted by or witnessing another go through turmoils of different kinds.

The truth is that there are less obvious ‘quakes’ that though hidden, still leave devastation and never quite grab the world’s attention. These tsunamis and quakes are of varying magnitudes. Quakes big enough to cause devastation of a great scale but not visible enough to bring news crews rushing in with the lights and cameras. Natural disasters come uninvited, as do some of these ‘disasters’.They are tremors that shake 'billions of worlds'...as many worlds as there are people on this earth.Sometimes they are so concealed, so secretive and yet so intense that they leave the victims wounded and dead within. Yes, it takes less than death to steal a life.In this world troubles will come. Without the grace and mercy of God people do crumble under the weight of these ‘tremors’.

In nursing, the pulse is used to check overall heart and health fitness levels physically. In view of the individual and personal quakes that are intense enough to be able to steal life and crush the spirit ,when was the last time you checked the ‘pulse’ of someone in your world and shined your light on them? Do you notice when someone is struggling to build endurance or when they are engulfed by the waters of inward tsunamis but with no news crews waiting by to highlight their plight? Do you feel stirred when you see someone who is overcome by the feeling of standing on sinking sand? Or is all this obscured by the veil of busyness? Are you too ‘busy’ to the point that you are too deaf to the cries of loneliness and blind to the needs around you. The people around you matter. If some of their life stories were to be replayed on the big screen, you would probably reach out for the Kleenex or give them a standing ovation. Only a handful of stories make it to the movies out of the billions of real life scripts that are being penned everyday.

Take time to check on the pulse of those around you.Do they still have a healthy heartbeat in their soul or are they silently dying inside while wearing a smile in an attempt to mask the death within? Are you awake and aware of those around you, the people that you have been blessed with on the journey of life? Make yourself available to encourage, strengthen and cheer others on without judgement. Allow people to be comfortable enough to expose themselves without the fear of you exposing them but protecting and praying for them instead. Be sensitive and discerning enough to notice the ‘tremors’ in their worlds and see beyond the facades.

Do away with unproductive 'busyness' and stay away from sterilized philosophies that have 'zero' heart in them.If a movie or a book can make you cry, if news of human tragedies all over the world can make you stop, ponder and feel for those affected, then you do have a heart. Take time to read the pages being written by the people around you and listen to their stories. If you feel hardened,pray for compassion and tenderness because someone within your sphere of influence needs you give them a standing ovation or encourage them. There are more than a billion tremors in the world and each person can do something, however little to strengthen and build others up.
Today take time to say a prayer for someone you know is in need of raindrops from heaven.

Love and blessings to you all