If Not Now, When?

On today's Seek God With Me blog post, I've expressed my opinion about the apparent lack of gratefulness to God in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

It seems to me that the news reports are covering much of the destruction, but not as much of the things we didn't lose.

I don't understand why people stayed on Galveston island. There was a mandatory evacuation notice and phone numbers to call for help getting off the island. But people stayed. And almost everyone who stayed lived through it, even though they may have lost some belongings. The death toll (fewer than 30 right now) could have been hundreds, if not thousands, more people than it was.

Those who lived in non-evacuation areas and didn't prepare for the hurricane by storing three days worth of water and non-perishable foods don't have the right to complain about the free food, water, and ice they are given at various points of distribution within the Houston area.

But people complain anyway.

I think it's time we told God that we appreciate His hand of protection. We should thank Him for neighbors who share what they have. The whole Houston area should be on their knees thanking God. This is the time to acknowledge Him.

If not now, when?