what in the world is going on?

Our church has some ties with orphanages in the Dominican Republic and Myanmar. Unless you've been hiding under a rock (or studying for finals), you've heard the news about the cyclone that has brought destruction to Myanmar. Yahoo has a bunch of pics. I just read that the death toll could top 100,000. 1 million people are homeless.

Tonight, while browsing Boatertalk (a kayaking web forum), I learned that a volcano in Futaleufu, Chile has erupted for the first time in 9000 years, shooting volcanic ash, steam, smoke, and gas more than 19 miles into the sky. Everyone within 50 miles of Chaiten is being evacuated. All the livestock and farms will be lost. The land will be infertile for as many as 20 years, and life as they knew it will cease to exist for those who lived near that volcano.

I don't know about you, but it makes me stop and think about all the things that I find myself grumbling about. It's time for a little perspective, a reality check...