We like to pretend we’re real tough, but our hard little hearts were deeply affected by watching the gross decimation as the tsumani claimed so many lives. We want to help, but we feel like our fifty bucks ain’t gonna do much towards the aftermath of God’s wrath. But Aish.com reminds us to not be so self-absorbed:
In addition to monetary aid, writer Sara Yoheved Rigler suggests a
spiritual response should also be considered. When you ask yourself “What can
I do?” here are some spiritual responses:
1. Allow yourself to mourn for the tragic loss of life. Do not emotionally
distance yourself by burying your heart, feel the pain.
2. Recognize the fragility — and therefore the preciousness — of life.
The people on the beaches of Southeast Asia that day had no warning
this would be their final hour. Neither will we. Appreciate the
preciousness of every hour.
3. Recognize the spiritual effect of every action you do — not just on
yourself but on the world. Petty lying, stealing, cheating, gossip,
promiscuity, and exploitation set in motion waves of negativity. When
many people engage in such actions, those waves can build up into tidal
waves.
4. Change one action. Undertake to do a good deed or eschew one kind of
negative behavior. This is a better defensive measure than any early
warning system.

So we’re going to stop lying, gossiping, cheating and/or exploiting in order to help the world. But we still wish we could send more money.