avoiding the inevitable

okay...so i know i haven't posted anything about hurricane katrina. sometimes the things that are nearest to our hearts are the things that are hardest to put into words. over the past week i've been watching the tv, reading the paper, looking at pictures, and i can't stop from refreshing yahoo news every couple hours to see if there's any new articles. as my eyes fill with tears and as chills make the hair on my arms stand up and my stomach ties itself in knots...i just can't stop reading. there are people in these areas that i know. for the most part, i think everyone is safe...but there are a few people i haven't heard about. the cities of jackson and clinton where i spent my summer were both effected by the storms. over the course of the summer i definitely grew to love the area and the people there. it's so sad to think that people i met are in the midst of this disaster. mississippi college was also hit by the storms. a friend who was on support staff there this summer sent me a link on their website that shows pictures of the campus after the storm. here's what she had to say,

"It's been a little crazy around here. Hurricane Katrina hit us last Monday, and she definitely left her mark. We had all of last week off of school, and the school still doesn't have complete power (Alumni Hall still doesn't have power). My dorm was without air from Monday-Friday, and then we didn't have power for about twenty-four hours on Thursday and Friday. However, we were very fortunate."

i spent all summer walking those sidewalks to and from bible study, worship, dinner, and nite life. to see the campus all torn up and covered with trees and limbs is crazy. but i also know that compared to other areas, it's not that bad. i also have friends who were in school in new orleans. it's just so overwhelming that i haven't been able to write about it. there's so much i want to write and say about it all, but right now i just feel so helpless. i know that all i can do is continue to pray for the people who've been affected by katrina.