There you find God

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - A massive American military relief operation picked up steam Monday, with U.S. helicopters dropping off cartons of food aid in Sumatra and warships with 2,200 Marines arriving in the Malacca Straits to ferry supplies to the tsunami-battered Indonesian island.

As the death toll around the Indian Ocean rim approached 140,000, a delegation led by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush began a trip that will include stops in Thailand, Indonesia and possibly Sri Lanka. The White House also said former Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush will lead a fund-raising effort for victims.

"I'd much rather be doing this than fighting a war," said helicopter pilot Lt. Cmdr. William Whitsitt of Great Falls, Mont.

It is difficult to watch but more difficult to endure. Life is good for some...for others, it is a living hell. This is the reality of the human condition. The tendency is to brush off what doesn't directly affect us, and if it does, to want to harden our hearts against any more pain.

The only way that the world has survived so many heart-wrenching disasters is because people pray and God over time brings healing.

So we pray for not only tangible help, but for healing of hearts and spirits as well.

Many of the survivors wish they were dead. Loss of loved ones and an uncertain future has left them in so much despair, but somehow someway God still reveals His love and providence. Why wouldn't He?

You know the Father to be so generous and merciful. He takes care of His children. He seeks out the lost sheep. He cares for every single one of you because He made you. Whether you aknowledge Him or not, He is still there. It does not change His mind about loving you.

Look at how your brothers and sisters are reaching out with assistance. Through them, you see His presence...

Trust, child, in His mercy and love. For all ages, He has sustained His people. No matter how much devastation surrounds you, life is still beautiful because like Fr. Grace said last night, "In the faces of the poor and suffering, there you find God."