b*ponders : for japan with love

Up until this point, I haven’t mentioned the tragedy in Japan. Sometimes there are no words. I can’t imagine the devastation they feel, the sadness, and the sense of loss that pervades the nation. In my life, I’ve been spared heartbreak. I’ve been safe. Loved. Warm. Dry. Today, I think of the orphans and windows of Japan. The people who have lost their homes. Their livelihoods. Their families. Their lives. And I think, that maybe, there might be some way that I can reach out of my safe little box and extend a hand. Sometimes it’s the tangible things that lead to much greater, more needed, intangible things. Sometimes a piece of bread means hope for the hopeless. Sometimes a warm place to sleep means rest and peace for the weary.

Today, I encourage you to head over to For Japan With Love and give what you can. Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours have paired up to create this fund-raising effort. Proceeds will go to ShelterBox, an organization that provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.

Tomorrow I will be participating in the Bloggers Day of Silence for Japan. I, along with many other bloggers, will not be posting in hopes that we can help raise awareness for the devastation in Japan. If you have a blog, please join me. And either way, please give and pray for Japan.