Another catastrophic disaster has claimed the front pages. Typhoon Haiyan devastated the island nation of the Philippines. As of today, the Filipino government has listed 2,275 fatalities but others have suggested that 10,000 might be a truer figure for Tacloban, the city that took a direct hit. More than 600,000 residents have been displaced from their home, and 2.5 million need food.
Those are hard numbers to swallow. Marine Corps KC-130s and Ospreys are already assisting evacuation efforts, and the USS George Washington group is on its way. So what can individuals do to help? Consider donating money to credible relief organizations who already have a presence in the country. Compassion uses donations to meet the immediate physical and spiritual needs of its enrolled children and their families. Samaritan’s Purse is already working with local churches and on Friday will send a 747 loaded with relief supplies. The American Red Cross is partnering with the Philippine Red Cross and has activated its family tracing services.
A not-so-subtle reminder hangs next to our breakfast table.
You can also adopt the practice of thankfulness. Be thankful for the roof over your head, the clothing on your back, and the food on your table. Be thankful for heat as the air temperature drops. Be thankful for safe, clean drinking water. Thankfulness is a popular attribute to espouse in November, since Thanksgiving is just 3 weeks away. But true thanksgiving isn’t a trend; it’s a heart attitude. Facebook is full of thankful posts these days. Here’s a personal favorite of mine. If it steps on your toes, then ouch!
True thankfulness is not solely limited to the month of November. It’s a year-round character trait that requires daily practice. I recommend reading Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts in which a homeschooling farmer’s wife challenges readers to live grateful lives.
H and her Thankful Tree
In our home, H and I are on our second week of a Thanksgiving unit study. Last week was devoted to Cranberry Thanksgiving, which is one of our most favorite titles from the Five in a Row curriculum we use. This week we’re branching out into other books but still continuing to study Thanksgiving. Yesterday we started a thankful tree. Here is H adding to her leaves this morning. If you have good eyesight, you’ll notice that she has listed her cousins, Aunt Martha, Uncle Brian, both sets of grandparents, all current and former hamsters, and our Compassion children. We’re still working on being thankful for sisters and parents.
Lots of leaves left. Maybe I’ll earn a coveted spot?
On a Learning Curve 