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Be Transformed by Renewing Your Mind

December

Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press, reported some comments made by those affected
by ‘Hurricane Katrina’: “After the storm that destroyed everything, there was little else to
do but pray.” “Ida Punzo, who survived the storm in her 130-yr.-old home in Biloxi,
Mississippi said, "This place is held together with God's spit." “William Lawrence, dean
of the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that
faith should be a comfort to the survivors not a tool for doomsday thinking.”
Why do we, as humans tend to look on the dark side of things? The popular tabloids in
the grocery stores, continue to print every detail week after week about the tragedies in
people’s lives, for they are aware: “the buyers want to know!” Some of the media is
flooding us with images of continuing horror which can lead to fatigue, sadness, anger,
and outrage, fear for the survivors and fear of rising costs ---falling back on us, says our
own Owings Mills Counselor, Harry Olson owner of “Maximum Potential, Inc.”
Yet, we are like ‘rubber-neckers’ slowing down on the highway to get a glimpse of an
accident . . . to see someone in distress. We are drawn in by the drama on TV like the
bug to the light bulb. Yes, there is horror going on but there is also goodness going on.
People sharing their resources, … helping one another. And what about the thousands or
more persons who are donating their time, their skills, and their financial resources to
assist those who have been affected by Katrina!
With our bad attitudes, anger looms out about the incompetence and of the
outrageous things that are going on in an already trying ‘post hurricane’ situation. This
‘stinkin’ ‘thinkin’ will only increase our blood pressure. It will not help those in distress.
It will only cause us distress. What a surprise I had when I read advice that is given to
Chinese students at Fudan University, Shanghai about stress. How similar it is to our
U.S. way of thinking regarding attitude: “You cannot control the disaster fallen on you,
but you can dominate your opinion on attitude towards it. So when faced with the
pressure, you must: Prevent the pressure from controlling you, and keep optimistic is a
key to control it. And we should regard the frustration as the stimulus. Don't fall in the
habit to think negatively.” (Chinese translation)
Calming down and helping in God’s way through love, giving and caring; and
rejoicing with those who have received miracles; being thankful with those who have
been rescued through perilous conditions will bring us peacefulness. Serving, with
gratitude, to those in need; being grateful that we are able to help others, that we have
been blessed with resources is a joy unparalleled. “And be not conformed to this world
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may “prove” what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2).