One of the Guilty

 I'm sitting here, wearing a robe because our a/c freezes me out in the morning, eating a hot breakfast and using my internet to blog instead of lesson plan (which is what I really should be doing). When I'm done I will soak in a hot bath and then get ready for work and a dr appt. All with a roof over my head. All knowing that I am secure. This has been the scene in our area for close to a week now. But, 20 miles down the road that is not the case. I have co-workers who still don't have electricity and are humbling themselves to ask for help with laundry. I have a co-worker who is living at a relative's house because her house was completely destroyed when 2 trees fell through it during the hurricane. 

I know I couldn't prevent any of that happening. It's mother nature. But I still feel guilty. It's the same way I felt after the Flood of 2016. We were the first house on our street that didn't take in water. We didn't lose everything like most people did. Our marriage didn't fall apart like some of our friends' marriages did after the flood.

I'm a person who naturally feels guilty, even when I'm not. It's a weakness of mine. But something I consider a strength of mine is my servant's heart. My love language is giving....time, resources, etc. So I've *tried* to turn that guilt into productivity by helping others. Sunday, after church, the boys and I went to a neighbors' house and helped clean up tree debris in their yard. Then we went to a local restaurant, where we picked up 145 meals. We drove around to designated areas, handing out hot meals to the linemen who have tirelessly been restoring power as fast as possible. Tuesday we went up to my school and cleaned up the parking lot and playground. 

I have offered to house people, do their laundry, bring them a homecooked meal. It's something I enjoy doing. I've learned, however, that it's something most everyone in the South likes to do as well when there's a need. Maybe it's not the South. Maybe it's just Louisiana because there are so many natural disasters here. Whatever the case, I have heard multiple times in the past couple weeks that out of town contractors can't believe how giving the people of Louisiana are. That's just their nature. I don't absolutely love Louisiana by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say that the people here are the most unselfish people I've ever met. 

No matter how it's happened, everyone in the south eastern part of the state has been affected by this hurricane. As usual, it's drawing people closer together, bringing out the good in them. For that I am thankful.