Help Japan by Rob Dobi, found at not martha
Disasters like the one in Japan remind me of how fortunate I am. During a recent sermon, my Pastor told a Robert Fulghum story. In the summer of 1959, Mr. Fulghum was working at a resort. He grew very tired of the meal of wieners and sauerkraut served by the owner to the employees. One evening he’d had enough and went on a tirade in front the night auditor, Sigmund Wollman. Mr. Wollman, a German Jew, was a survivor of Auschwitz. He said, “Lissen, Fulchum. Lissen me, lissen me. You know what’s wrong with you? It’s not wieners and ‘kraut and it’s not the boss and it’s not the chef and it’s not the job. Fulchum, you think you know everything, but you don’t know the difference between and inconvenience and a problem. If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire – then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience. Life is inconvenient.”
When you think about it, most of what we think are problems are really just inconvenience. Sometimes, it seems like there’s a lot of inconvenience – internet that doesn’t work, and office equipment that fails one machine after another. But, in the scheme of things, those are not real problems – just inconvenience. I am very blessed and feel compelled to give to those with real problems.
Nearly every news broadcast I watch or blog post I read mentions ways to help. Before contributing to an organization that you are unfamiliar with, take the time to check them out. The Better Business Bureau has a site devoted to charities. They even have a page devoted to tips for Giving to Earthquake Relief Efforts in Japan.
You can easily contribute by texting your donation to the Red Cross. Just Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
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