Re-connected!

With the recent upheavals in the Middle East, Chinese officials have been getting anxious with the thought that China's citizens might get some crazy ideas about freedom into their heads.  One of the ways they combat these crazy ideas is to make it even harder to access websites beyond what they approve of.  Usually with the use of a paid VPN service, we're able to get around the "great firewall of China," but this week they had even brought our VPN down.  Grrr.  Thanks to some fancy footwork, our VPN seems to get us through again for the moment.

This weekend we have been watching the tragedy in Japan unfold.  My mind does not know how to fully comprehend the many gut-wrenching things that are happening across our world today.  It seems like it is just too much ... the "everyday" things of sickness, poverty, crime and accidents regularly leave me with tears in my eyes and a naseated feeling of helplessness.  I don't know what to do with these huge things - vast numbers of people fighting for their lives.  The thought of continuing on with my day, thinking about what I'll eat, getting discouraged over the clothes in my closet, exercising and making plans with friends all seems so trivial and completely cold-hearted.  What can I do for suffering people?  I know that prayer is the answer and my mind knows that this is so much more powerful than anything else I could ever offer, but why does it feel so futile?   Perhaps because it doesn't feel like I am really doing something and I like nothing if not to feel active and to see the results of my activity.  With that in mind, I will continue to talk to God, knowing that He is bigger than all of this.