对成千上万的人来说，2004年12月26日这个日子，改变了他们的生命。当天在亚洲十一个国家，极大的海啸夺取了二十一万多人的生命。现在生还者尽他们力量让生活恢复正常时，全世界关心此事之人慷慨解囊的把大笔援助送去灾区帮助灾民，减轻痛苦，预防疾病，增加希望。
2011年，日本也面对了地震和海啸。之前之后，日本以及其他的国家，都发生过地震、海啸以及别的灾害。
藉着许多人的努力，悲剧可以变为胜利。斯提范$瓦特豪斯在“赐力给属他的人”一书中，说明，只要我们允许，悲剧和苦难能够产生几种正面的事。（一）苦难和悲剧促使人们团结。亚洲地震引发海啸以后，各种帮助来自全世界。海啸后，天下合一。各界人士以经济援助倾诉同情。此捐助不但来自不同国家的政府，连老百姓都参与。
美国总统乔治布什奉献一万块美元协助海啸的灾民。《华盛顿邮报》报导说美国加州的男孩子，放弃了九岁生日宴会，请他母亲把$250.00 赠送给亚洲的难民。本人所参与的中田纳西州中华基督教会，在那什维尔市，奉献一千美元救济印尼灾民。是的，苦难促使人团结；团结把悲剧变为胜利。
（二）斯提范瓦特豪斯又解释，苦难消灭自给自足的幻想，使得我们依赖神。《圣经》教导我们说，“神是我们的避难所，是我们的力量，是我们在患难中随时的帮助。所以地虽改变，山虽摇动到海心…我们也不害怕” （诗篇46:1-3）。当地震所引发的海啸，有把山摇动到海心似的狂澜。但
是，神应许说，连那时候，神是我们的避难所和我们的帮助。
发生海啸的那天，不知道多少人认为他们人生完美，安居乐业，自给自足。他们不承认需要神。当天晚上，海啸一过，他们向神祈祷，寻找神，依靠神。既有人感谢神让他们逃生；又有人向神质问说，为什么亲人被扫去。是的，如果我们允许，悲剧会把我们送到神的怀抱里。难怪，神想要做我们患难中随时的帮助。当我们转向神时，悲剧变为胜利。
当面对众人都会遇到的共同问题，就是苦难时，要记得我们不独自受苦。神与我们同在；属于神的人也要亲近我们。与神合一，与人团结，我们将会得胜。
伸出双手接受人的捐助不表示我们毫无力量，相反地，它是个机会，让很多人团结起来共同面对问题，互相表示人与人之间的关怀。让神成为我们患难中的帮助，不表示我们软弱无力；相反地，神的力量能够使我们把悲剧变为胜利。
今天您就可以成为一位得胜者。请与他人手联手的团结起来参与援助的工作。无论您住在何处，面对任何问题，让神成为你的避难所和力量。神迫不及待地把他独一无二的帮助给您。
For hundreds of thousands of people, life changed course on December 26, 2004, the day the tsunami hit eleven nations in Asia and took the lives of over 210,000 people. The year 2005 and for years beyond, those who survived the devastating tsunami will try to put life back together. Aid sent from all over the world to relieve suffering, prevent disease and encourage hope, will complement this process.
In 2011, as in years both before and after, a large earthquake struck Japan, followed my a devastating tsunami. Other countries have suffered similar as well as other disasters.
Through the personal effort of many people, tragedy can turn into triumph. In the book, Strength for His People, Steven Waterhouse, explains that tragedy and suffering can produce several positive things if we will allow them to do so. Suffering and tragedy produce unity, as we see in the worldwide response to the Asian tsunami. For several days following the tsunami the world was largely one, as an outpouring of sympathy in the form of financial and other aid was promised. This aid was sent not only by governments but also and especially by ordinary citizens.
United States president, George Bush, made a personal donation of $10,000.00 to aid tsunami victims. The Washington Post [January 8] reported that a 9-year-old California boy gave up his birthday party and asked his mother to send $250.00 to Asian children instead. The small church I attend in Nashville, Tennessee, composed mostly of people from China, contributed $1,000.00 to relief in Indonesia. Yes, suffering promotes unity and unity turns tragedy into triumph.
Waterhouse also explains that suffering destroys the illusion of self-sufficiency and drives us to depend on God. The Bible tells us that God is our refuge and strength, an ever‑present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea [Psalm 46:1‑2]. In the earthquake that precipitated the tsunami, in a sense, a mountain did fall into the heart of the sea, yet, God promises us that even there God is our refuge and strength.
The very day of the tsunami, how many people thought that they had life by the horns and were fully self-sufficient? They failed to acknowledge their need for God. By nightfall, however, they were praying to God, looking for God, depending on God. Some thanked God that they had been spared, while others questioned God as to why their loved ones had been taken. Tragedy will send us to God’s breast, if we will let it. Indeed, God wants to be our ever‑present help in trouble. The turn to God brings triumph out of tragedy.
As we face the suffering that is common to all people, we should remember that we do not suffer alone. God is with us and God’s people are also close to us. Unity with God and unity with each other helps us be triumphant. Reaching out and receiving aid from our fellow men does not prove our impotency; rather it serves as an opportunity for many people to bond in a common cause and express their humanity to each other. Allowing God to be our refuge and strength does not demonstrate that we are weak but rather serves to empower us with the strength of God, and thus to turn tragedy into triumph.
Be triumphant today by reaching out your hand in unity with your fellow man. Be involved in the giving of aid and perhaps even in the reception of it. Wherever you live and whatever problem you face, find in God the refuge and strength which is uniquely his and which he is anxious to extend.
【天灾】三：生还者的人生观——化悲剧为胜利
Natural Disasters (3): Philosophy of Life for Survivors:
Turn Tragedy into Victory
作者：谢德华 ©By Edward Short
World Christian Broadcasting