Pray for the Gulf Coast

I really can't imagine what the people of Biloxi, New Orleans, and other cities and towns in that region are going through as Hurricane Katrina reaches land. I asked myself this morning, What if I suddenly had to evacuate, to leave my home not knowing whether it would be there when I returned? As I reflected on this question, others arose:

What about the four cats in my family? Would we just throw them in the back of the car with a makeshift litterbox? What about the pets of family members whom we would need to help evacuate? How many animals can you fit in one car?

Where would we go? How much would we need to pack? Would we make any effort to keep any of our stuff? Would we take our most important things upstairs and cover them in plastic? Would we burn onto CDs any important contents of our hard drive? Would we say, "Screw our stuff," and leave town as quickly as possible?

What would be our obligation to fellow citizens, particularly those without the means to evacuate? If we tried to help, would we only be getting in the way and endangering ourselves, or could we really do something to help? If we could somehow help, would we be selfish not to?

How could we possibly explain any of this to an 18-month-old?

Of course, thousands of people were not able to evacuate, and I know that I cannot hope to understand the fear they are experiencing.

At times like this, I feel hopeless, selfish, blessed, and fortunate. Keep all of the people living on the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi in your prayers.