My relief prayer for Southeast Asia

Originally appeared on spirituality.com

'Where are my children?'' she asked. ''Where are they? Why did this happen to me? I've lost everything.'' Of all the reports I read on the aftermath of the tsunamis in Southeast Asia, this one resonated so strongly with me. According to an Associated Press story Absah, a 41-year-old mother, was searching the city of Banda Aceh for her 11 youngsters.

My heart ached to comfort her, to hold her hand, offer some reassurance for hope. I felt helpless as I sat in my comfortable office near my cozy home and healthy family, full of expectation for a happy future. What did I have to give?

But my life hasn’t always been as secure as it is today. My world was rocked by the sudden death of my spouse a few years ago. The effect on me was cataclysmic. And the question, “Why did this happen to me?” ached in my core, paralyzing any efforts to raise myself out of grief.

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