Most of you have seen the images of the California fires on television or across social media this past week. It has been heart-wrenching to watch entire neighborhoods and communities burn down. Likewise, just five months ago we saw the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Florida and the resulting flooding in North Carolina and the surrounding areas. That was just as difficult to watch. These continual tragedies and disasters can cause a numbing effect on many and desensitize them to the hurt and pain of other people. Don't let that happen to you.
Many years ago, I attended a four hour Red Cross training called: Psychological First Aid. It was about helping others in times of stress. The class was taught by a licensed counselor, and it was very enlightening. The Red Cross sees their volunteers as a crucial part of their organization and takes care of them through training and preparation. The instructors of the class did a great job of stressing to the Red Cross volunteers that their number one priority was to take care of themselves throughout the process of helping others. The Red Cross has three simple objectives when dealing with survivors of disasters:
Pick them up.
Dust them off.
Head them in the right direction.
In this training, there was a lot of information shared about the symptoms of disaster-related stress in regards to adults and children and how this looks. Behaviors, feelings, thoughts, physical reactions, and spiritual beliefs can all be affected. Knowing how to provide Psychological First Aid can help you to:
Create a compassionate environment for disaster survivors and workers
Assess what a person might need at a particular time
Provide immediate support to those in stressful situations
Help others to cope in the face of stressful events
Many of you may have family members and friends who are going through a crisis event right now like the tragedy in New Orleans, the fires in California, or the after-effects of the Hurricane. You may even be called to go help those survivors in various places with a church group or other organization. In order to give Psychological First Aid, the Red Cross recommends eleven steps to help:
Make a connection
Help people be safe
Be kind, calm, and compassionate
Meet people's basic needs
Listen
Give realistic assurance
Encourage good coping skills
Help people connect
Give accurate and timely information
Make a referral to another agency if additional help is needed
End the conversation and take care of yourself
I personally believe that Jesus Christ is the answer to all of life's suffering. As ambassadors in Christ, I see this as part of our mission to offer HOPE. But, the Red Cross is not a religious organization and has a "hands off approach" when it comes to discussing spiritual issues. Like in most tragedies, however, someone will eventually ask the question, "Why did God let this happen?" The sinful nature of man and evil is the root cause of many of these tragedies and some reasons we will never know.
I can assure you that God is grieved by these things just as we are. God is a loving, merciful, and compassionate God. His purposes are always to draw us into a relationship with Him. He is a God who steers the lost, the rejected, the lonely, the weary, and the hopeless into a covenant of grace. The truth of God's judgement causes us to understand that evil will not prevail. Every wrong will be made right.
We matter to God. You matter to Him. Through these tragedies, we see the generosity of those who follow Him. We hear and feel the prayers of the righteous. The love of God is extended in those He uses as His hands and feet. We go, we give, and sometimes we are just fully present to listen as people share their stories. We offer a comforting hug or sit in silence. The Bible says in Psalm 34:18, "The LORD is near to them that are of a broken heart, and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Don't become desensitized to these tragedies. Let the love of God propel you to be His catalyst for healing.
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