Do we ever really realize how great our blessings are?

I've been asking myself that a great deal the last few days, as it has become increasingly apparent just how great the devastation is from the hurricane on the Gulf Coast. As far away as we are here in North Texas, we are being effected by it. There are several temporary shelters in my area that are being established to house some of those displaced by the hurricane. My mother and mother-in-law and I yesterday had the opportunity to take 130 blankets from my Project Linus chapter to one of the shelters, and my mission tomorrow is to sort through and distribute about another 200 to volunteers for labeling and then distribution to some of the other shelters.

You know, I so take it for granted that if anything ever happened, that I would have friends or family able and willing to take me in, but how many of those in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama thought the same thing, and their families are homeless along with them?

I know God is in control, and I can't help but think that part of the purpose of this disaster is to bring out the best in people, that willingness to help their fellow man when things go really bad. I can't help though but think that if we, as people, were to have that same attitude of love and caring toward each other every single day, that this world would be a much better one to live in.