Response to Complaints about Evacuees

I received this in my e-mail today, and I thought that I would provide a response but more from the Christian perspective than a secular prospective. Again, as I stated yesterday, I am not going to join the debate about whether FEMA payments are valid or any social issue like that. Instead, I am choosing to make a public response to her letter (since the letter was in the newspaper in Shreveport apparently). I would not do this except that the end of her letter appears to imply that she is a Christian.

First, here is the letter:

Dear Editor,

I am a nurse who has just completed volunteer working approximately 120 hours as the clinic director in a Hurricane Gustav evacuation shelter in Shreveport, Louisiana over the last 7 days. I would love to see someone look at the evacuee situation from a new perspective. Local and national news channels have covered the evacuation and "horrible" conditions the evacuees had to endure during Hurricane Gustav. True - some things were not optimal for the evacuation and the shelters need some modification.

At any point, does anyone address the responsibility (or irresponsibility) of the evacuees?
Does it seem wrong that one would remember their cell phone, charger, cigarettes and lighter but forget their child's insulin?
Is something amiss when an evacuee gets off the bus, walks immediately to the medical area, and requests immediate free refills on all medicines for which they cannot provide a prescription or current bottle (most of which are narcotics)?
Isn't the system flawed when an evacuee says they cannot afford a $3 copay for a refill that will be delivered to them in the shelter yet they can take a city-provided bus to Wal-mart, buy 5 bottles of Vodka, and return to consume them secretly in the shelter?
Is it fair to stop performing luggage checks on incoming evacuees so as not to delay the registration process but endanger the volunteer staff and other persons with the very realistic truth of drugs, alcohol and weapons being brought into the shelter?
Am I less than compassionate when it frustrates me to scrub emesis from the floor near a nauseated child while his mother lies nearby, watching me work 26 hours straight, not even raising her head from the pillow to comfort her own son?
Why does it insense [sic] me to hear a man say "I ain't goin' home 'til I get my FEMA check" when I would love to just go home and see my daughters who I have only seen 3 times this week?
Is the system flawed when the privately insured patient must find a way to get to the pharmacy, fill his prescription and pay his copay while the FEMA declaration allows the uninsured person to acquire free medications under the disaster rules?
Does it seem odd that the nurse volunteering at the shelter is paying for childcare while the evacuee sits on a cot during the day as the shelter provides a "daycare"?
Have government entitlements created this mentality and am I facilitating it with my work?
Will I be a bad person, merciless nurse or poor Christian if I hesitate to work at the next shelter because I have worked for 7 days being called every curse word imaginable, feeling threatened and fearing for my personal safety in the shelter?

Exhausted and battered,

Sherri Hagerhjelm, RN

My response:

Dear Sherri,

In your letter, you seem to indicate that you are a Christian and therefore, I am writing this response. There are many people that have voiced some of your same opinions. Therefore, since you published your "new perspective" in a newspaper, I am choosing to respond on my blog. Specifically, I am responding to the last sentence of your letter wherein you asked if it would make you a poor Christian if you hesitate to work in the next shelter. I do not know what you mean by "poor Christian," but I am of the opinion that if God has gifted you with medical capabilities, and there is a medical need, you would at least be a disobedient Christian if you fail to provide your services the next time that it is necessary. There are several reasons for me stating this.

Number 1: You spend a lot of time in your letter focusing on the individuals instead of viewing the individuals in a biblical way. Jesus indicates that we are to treat those that we minister to as if we are ministering to Him (Matthew 25, and more specifically verses 31-46). If Jesus asked for medication, we would give it to Him no questions asked, including the question about whether or not He can afford it. I do think there is a level of discernment you have to exercise though because you do not want to provide medication to an addict, but that is not the point of that statement. If Jesus asked for shelter, we would open our arms wide instead of questioning His motives. Stop looking at these people as people with an entitlement mentality and start looking at them through gospel eyes. Yes, they may have an entitlement mentality or be lazy or be unappreciative, but that is why our servant attitude and heart will be a witness to them. Be a suffering servant doing all of this for the glory of God instead of for the people that you are helping.

Number 2: You talk about being exhausted and drained. Again, I speak for most everyone that worked in shelters (including myself) when I say that you are not alone. However, there is a verse in the Bible that speaks directly to this issue. You will find it in Galatians 6:9-10, written by perhaps one of the most abused, exhausted, battered, and person in danger that ever set out to live and preach the gospel. "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:9-10. Preach to yourself in those times that you are feeling incensed, less compassionate, exhausted, discouraged by reminding yourself of those verses. The verses do not say to do good to only those who are of the household of faith or only those who deserve it or only those that are grateful, but to everyone. I know that I had to during the midst of serving in the shelters during Gustav and Ike. It is when you stop preaching to yourself that you fall victim to looking at these people individually, full of faults, instead of looking at them through gospel eyes, as referenced in number 1 above. I had to constantly remind myself not to grow weary in doing good. I had to constantly remind myself to view the people I was serving as Jesus or at least as someone who needs to hear the gospel through my actions and attitude. I had to constantly remind myself to smile so that the evacuees could see the joy that only God gives. I had to constantly remind myself that these people are people who are at the shelter because they do not know if they are going to have a home when they leave the shelter. Yes, they may have chosen the shelter route because of the free food, free medication, free trip out of town, but the evacuees still may be returning home to nothing. That kind of stress causes some people to be unable to provide care to their children. I have seen it with my own eyes with someone I now consider a close friend. I had to help care for her child because at that time in that type of stress she was unable to. I had to realize I had no right to complain because God had placed me in that position to be able to minister in that way. Was it frustrating at times? I would be a liar if I told you know. That is why it was necessary to preach to myself. This is a habit that all Christians should incorporate into their lives. I often fail in my attitude towards the evacuees, but by God's grace, there are moments that I am able to be an example of the gospel as well.

Number 3: Your concern for safety seems to hinder your willingness to share the gospel. One of the problems in the church today is that people are too concerned for safety. I should probably limit that to the American church since there are other churches around the world who are answering the call to sacrifice safety for the spread of the gospel every day, and are gladly giving their lives for Christ. Many in the church, myself included, are too afraid to put our safety on the line for the spread of the gospel. Start trusting God and His will for your safety instead of fearing what may happen. Should you die in this type of situation, your death may result in great things for God's Kingdom. Be willing to have Paul's attitude that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Realize that God may have called you to a situation where your safety was in jeopardy to get you out of your comfort zone and to show His provision in such times. Safety is not a valid concern when turning down opportunities to serve.

Number 4: Your "new perspective" lacks all everything that a Christian should be showing the world. The glory of God is proclaimed when the world sees that we Christians are willing to serve and sacrifice even when God calls us to serve and sacrifice to those in society that may not deserve it. Isn't that what the gospel is all about? Showing grace to the world because God showed grace to us when we did not deserve it? There is a church in my town that had their facilities damaged by the evacuees from Gustav, had situations go on during Gustav that would have justified their decision to no longer be a shelter, yet they opened their doors to evacuees in Ike. There is another church in my town that made the decision not to be a shelter, despite significant financial and people resources, not to mention adequate facilities to house evacuees. Which church is portraying the glory of God to the community and to the world? Isn't it the church that makes decisions that do not make sense? Be the example that the church who opened its doors even when it would have been justified in closing them instead of the example of making a decision that makes sense to the world. You may be justified in not volunteering in the future, but choose to be the type of person who is asked why you are willing to serve again so that you can explain the gospel to someone who needs to hear it.

This response is not meant to address what is wrong with FEMA or whether FEMA needs to change. Right now, FEMA and its regulations are as good as law (if they are not law already), so complaining about FEMA is not the way to change things. Instead, it is better for the time being to follow the law, and do it with a smile and attitude that comes only from Christ. Personally, I am glad that persons who were on medication for bi-polar depression in the shelter at our church could receive their prescription for free due to the FEMA rules because I am sure that we would have had our hands full if the prescriptions were not readily available. I am grateful for the presence of the guard even if I may think that it is sad that the guard is necessary. I am also grateful that God allowed me to participate in a ministry that is hard for me and requires me to rely so much on Him and His provision. I also pray that anything that I did in my service may be used by God to change hearts and lives, realizing that He is the only one who can provide that change.

I am sure that this response may seem harsh to you at this time. However, I pray that God will allow it to be a teaching situation in spite of the sin it may contain.

Exhausted, but praising God for the privilege of service,

Cyndia Hammond

Hypocrisy?

Last week as I heard about the government bailout of large companies that pay the executive officers way too much to the detriment of investors, I realized something that I had not thought before. This post is not a political or economic commentary on whether the financial decision of bailouts is a smart one. It is more a condemnation of the way that people look at government assistance depending on the recipient of the assistance.

Many people have strong opinions about whether or not FEMA should provide assistance to those who are victims of natural disasters. I waiver between supporting financial assistance and being against it, depending upon whether I have seen it misused that day. I also have mixed feelings about welfare and the culture that it has created. However, it is often heard from those who have the means that we are just feeding a culture of entitlement and that handouts are bad. I am sure that many of the upper tiered executives at the companies being bailed out have said things like that. Yet, when the company starts to go down because of bad financial decisions (similar to the bad financial decisions made by individuals on welfare) and greed at the highest levels of the corporate ladder, these executives are the first ones begging Congress for a handout, giving the appearance of entitlement mentality. This is quite possibly one of the highest forms of hypocrisy.

Hurricane Ike Update

Well, my electricity came back on sometime Monday night. I received and put into practice some of the best hurricane advice ever dealing with the power going out. I was advised that since my refrigerator lost power for such a long time, it would be better to leave everything in it and wait until it cooled again before opening it to remove all of the spoiled food. I did just that, and it made a huge difference. My kitchen started smelling slightly on Monday from the spoiled food. However, I waited until Tuesday to open it for the first time so that it had a chance to cool down overnight. Nothing that I pulled out of the refrigerator smelled. Nothing. No leaks, no rotted meat smell, no spoiled milk smell. I am sure it smelled by the time that the trash men picked it up on Wednesday, but at least it did not smell from the refrigerator to the garbage can. The lack of smell did not stop me from completely disinfecting my refrigerator though. Just because it did not smell at that time does not mean that germs of all sorts are not present. I am sure that this method does not work if you have been without power for several weeks, but if you are without power for just a few days, I highly recommend that you allow everything to recool and refreeze before cleaning out the fridge!

I guess that means that the lessons I have learned from Hurricane Ike can be summed up as follows:

1. I have learned how to clean out a refrigerator that has been without power for several days. I have also learned that restocking the refrigerator costs as much if not more than the savings that you have on your electric bill as a result of being without power.
2. I need a generator.
3. Pine trees, especially sick or dead ones, snap in the trunk and fall. It is a good idea to survey the condition of your trees prior to the storm and make sure that nothing valuable is in the way of the trees. It looked like my pine tree was going to fall, so I made sure I was not home when it did. That decision probably saved me from having damage to my car as well as my carport.

Pictures from my storm damage

Here you go mom (and anyone else who wants to see). This is what is left of my carport. I still do not have electricity and I still have a downed line in my backyard and on my carport that is live/hot. And I have tried to call the electric company the past two days to report the downed line since it is a huge safety hazard (and therefore not able to be reported online), and have gotten nothing but a busy signal. So, if you are in the area, stay out of my backyard and do not touch the carport because I don't want to find any fried bodies when I get home!

Hurricane Ike

I have learned several things about hurricanes since Katrina, and since Ike is at the Texas coast doorstep, I thought I would share some of what I have learned.

1. The National Hurricane Center (which is bookmarked on my toolbar) updates its forecasts at 1, 4, 7, and 10, both a.m. and p.m. This information is helpful because you know when to look at the most recent projected path and tropical/hurricane wind speed probabilities.
   
2. In Texarkana, we actually have to watch the projected path of hurricanes because when Rita went over us, we had almost tropical storm force winds.
   
3. During Katrina, I didn't text message. Then I found out that text messages go through when phone calls do not. Since Katrina, I have learned to text, which came in really handy during Gustav, until cell phone batteries of the people I was texting died. Maybe with the next hurricane, they will learn to buy a few of those battery powered charger things.
   

All of this knowledge has been put to good use the past few weeks. Today I have religiously checked the charts at 10:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 4:15 p.m. At the 10 am update, Texarkana was between 30-40% chance of tropical storm force winds tomorrow.  At the 1 pm update, we were between 40-50%.  At the 4 pm update, we are between 50-60%.  I think we are in for some fun times tomorrow. Glad I have a new roof!!

Suggestion for Writers of The Office

Dear writers of The Office,

In case you ever run out of material for the show, I have an episode idea. Our office saw quite a bit of excitement this week when we bought and received our Keurig coffee maker. Seriously, you would have thought that the most awesome thing ever was delivered to our office as we all tested the new contraption that brews one cup of coffee at a time. I am sure all sorts of jokes can be made out of the demonstration, Michael (or some other unlucky member of The Office) burning his or her tongue on the extra hot beverages produced, someone else taking the lid off the k-cup and making a mess, etc. A shot can be made of Darryl erasing whatever number is on the board for days without accidents as Michael has his tongue wrapped in gauze and files a workers compensation claim. I want to see Stanley excited again like he was on Pretzel Day, and I think this would be a great day for him to get excited. Michael could even put his "World's Best Boss" cup to good use. Meredith could get confused by the alcoholic drink flavors not having alcohol in them. Angela could have her tea. The possibilities are endless.

It think it is sad that I think of situations at my own office and come up with The Office episodes, and then even blog about them (from my office, of course), but just in case you, the writers, cruise around the blogosphere looking for ideas, maybe, just maybe, you will see my Keurig coffe maker blog and a funny episode will be born.

Sincerely,

The Office Fan in Txk

The Office, Season 4

I have finished watching all of Season 4 of The Office. I do not watch it on TV, but wait until it comes out on DVD because it is so much better without the commercial breaks. Season 2 is still the season with the funniest episodes, but Season 4 provided quite a few laughs. My favorite Season 4 character had to be Stanley. I am glad that the writers highlighted him in a few more episodes. The funniest blooper was also Stanley. The Dinner Party was the most ackward, yet funniest episode of the season (in my opinion). I am sure that it was frustrating during the season for the people that watch on TV with the writer's strike, but I was able to avoid that by waiting for the DVD. I am not sure if I can wait for the DVD for Season 5 though, although I may just watch the first episode of Season 5 on TV and wait for the rest. I hope they do like they have done in the past and skip ahead three months. I just want to see the answers to the cliffhangers and then I will be able to be patient again.

Official Storm Policies

I received this a few days ago in e-mail, and thought I would share it. I wish I could take credit for this creative policy, or at least give credit to the creative mind that drafted it. I have a feeling that if our law firm was a little further South, this would be our official policy (excluding the lawyers of course :)):

Office Procedures Concerning Storm and Office Closings:

As we watch the progress of the storm, the following are the firm's guidelines based upon the hurricane's intensity:

Hurricane Category #1
No excuse for being late. Leave earlier to give extra time to avoid fallen trees and limbs.


Hurricane Category #2
Due to the horizontal rain, you may wear jeans.


Hurricane Category #3
Whereas most of the area will be flooded we suggest you avoid wearing open toe sandals when coming to work. Canoes will be provided to get to the building safely without getting wet.


Hurricane Category #4
More than likely there will be no electricity. Given that, we will have manual typewriters available to all staff members.
NOTE: Please take extra caution and wear water-proof make-up if Category 4 or above.


Hurricane Category #5
Velcro will be provided to keep you attached to your chairs when the windows blow out. For those that survive, we will have chocolate cake at 3:00 pm in the kitchen.

Pierced for our Transgressions

Pierced for Our Transgressions is a very thorough examination of the doctrine of penal substitution. Fortunately, I do not think that I have encountered too many people who do not believe in the doctrine of penal substitution who also profess to be Christian. However, I enjoyed the book because it covered the doctrine from so many different angles that I at least have a resource to refer to that provides me with a biblical defense of the doctrine should I need to defend the belief.

In the first part of the book, the authors perform a survey of the Bible on the doctrine, pointing out many Scriptures that support the doctrine that Jesus Christ died in place of sinners through His death on the cross. The doctrine of penal substitution teaches that Jesus suffered the penalty of our sins when He died on the cross. After making a biblical case for the doctrine, the authors take the readers on a journey through church history to exam what church fathers have said about the doctrine up to the present time. The first part of the book was outstanding. I think that any resource that examines such a key doctrine so thoroughly is worth reading.

In the second part of the book, the authors take key questions and/or assertions made by opponents of penal substitution and respond using references to Scripture or just logic. The authors show their gift of apologetics during this portion, although I have to admit that I became disinterested in some of the arguments. I do think that this portion of the book is not only necessary, but an invaluable resource should someone find themselves in a position of needing to defend the doctrine.

Pierced for Our Transgressions is a difficult book to read. It is very textbook like in its writing style. However, I believe it to be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in apologetics or the issue of penal substitution. The book is well-thought out and put together. My suggestion for lay persons would be to read the first part of the book, and saved the second part for times when you need it.

Hurricane Season

This is the part of hurricane season that I do not like - the time when conditions are ripe for hurricanes to hit along the Texas and Louisiana portions of the coast. Soon I will probably write about Gustav. Ike seems eerily similar to Rita from a few years ago. My roof had a leak in it from the spring hail storms, and I was afraid that Gustav would create a waterfall. One good thing for Ike should we receive the rainy side of the storm again - I will have a new, hopefully non-leaking roof. The roofers are on my house today replacing my roof three weeks ahead of schedule. Maybe now I can take down the plastic covering my TV and electronics when Ike hits. It looks like there will be more days spending time with evacuees in the coming days. Isn't it November yet?!?!

Politics

I am not a fan of being political. I do vote regularly. I do have certain political views, but I usually keep them to myself. I do have to share this though - I am loving Palin as a VP candidate. I think that McCain and his campaign advisors are geniouses to choose her as a VP candidate for many reasons. (1) She is not Washington. Obama talks a lot about change, yet he chose a typical Washington VP candidate. I know he basically had to for various reasons, but it does not give the appearance of change. So what does McCain do in response? Look outside of Washington - about as far away from Washington as you can go. Brilliant. (2) She is a conservative woman who has a family instead of a feminist or someone married to someone for political reasons. (3) She had a baby she knew had a high likelihood of Downs Syndrome when doctors encouraged her to abort the baby. Finally the pro-life camp has someone who wears a skirt and has babies that can say that the opportunity presented itself, yet she made the right choice. (4) She energized a campaign that most Republicans seemed half-hearted and lukewarm about. I was not too happy about McCain as a choice, but it beat the alternative. Now, I am voting for McCain because it is a vote for Palin - and I am excited about it. From what I can tell, I am not the only one. Republicans have fallen in love with her, which has energized a movement that was needing energy. (5) Who cares if McCain dies now because Palin would take over. This has been important because, although McCain appears to be in good health for his age, the Democrats have been complaining about his age. McCain obviously needed someone that Republicans could get behind and support should he die. How awesome would it be for the Republicans to put the first woman in the White House! What a slap in the face to Hillary! Chances are that McCain will not be dying anytime during any potential presidency, but now he has people excited about what could happen if he did. That is genious. (6) Feminists hate the choice, which exposes feminists as not pro-women but pro-certain-type-of-woman-that-fits-the-feminist-mold. Feminists talk all the time about how women should be able to work and have a family and blah blah blah. Yet feminists are the ones that are complaining because this woman seems to be working and having a family. I read one feminist that said Palin should be home taking care of her kids. What? I thought that was against everything feminists believed in. Now the feminists moral relativism is on display. (7) People in the south now have a reason to vote for McCain. What good southern does not like guns and hunting. It does not hurt that she is good looking too. Again, brilliant.

One last thing that I love about the choice and the circumstances that surrounded it. Barack played up his VP pick, having people on the edge of their seats anticipating the announcement for days. Then when he announced it, people were not too impressed (or excited). No one was really on the edge of their seat for McCain's pick, and when he made the announcement, people were curious. Curiosity was good for McCain and Palin and the nation fell in love with her or loathed her overnight. Both feelings have created passion whereas people really did not care about Biden. The media has definitely given more press time to Palin than Biden, and I think that will bode well for the campaign. At least now McCain and Obama are getting closer to an even playing field, and November should be exciting. Republicans are now excited like the Democrats. Whoever came up with Palin in the McCain campaign needs to stick around if McCain wins the presidency because I am anxious to see what kind of Supreme Court justices might come out of that!