Other things may change us... but we start and end with FAMILY

Friday, January 15, 2010

Haiti

I have to admit... I didn't even know about Haiti until the day after the earth quake. I feel horrible about it.. but I don't often get a chance to watch the news, what with 3 little kids. I try not to actually... because I spend all day with my kids and I don't want them to see/hear what is being said/shown on the news. Not that I am trying to shelter them but in my humble opinion my 4 yr. old doesn't need to know about the murder of a young girl in Winnipeg, or the missing mother of 3 from somewhere in the states. I try to catch a bit of the 11 o'clock news before hitting bed but for some reason that night I didn't. I can't remember how I heard about it but when I did I went online to CNN and quickly browsed through some of the articles and pictures that they had posted.

If I am being honest I have to admit that I was heartbroken but then someone needed me to do something and I forgot about what I had read/seen until the kiddies were all in bed.. and then it all came rushing back...
1000's of miles away mothers didn't have any place to tuck their kiddies into bed... and there were children with no mothers now. For some reason that night Caleb got up an extra time to feed ( maybe he knew I needed that time with him) and as I rocked him and his little eyes grew heavy with sleep I prayed for all the mothers and children especially from Haiti. Perhaps it is a mothers heart that makes me feel so much for the mothers and children from there. I realize though that there are many who lost fathers and fathers who lost children as well... but my heart has been especially heavy for the mothers.

I read a comment on someones blog or Facebook that really struck and cord with me but decided against saying anything to them 1. because I didn't know them and 2. because there really was not point in getting all riled up and in a disagreement with someone I didn't know. I figured that I would post about it here though because 1. its my blog and I can write about what I like! and 2. that person probably doesn't read my blog!
But basically they had said that the reason that the quake hit was probably because Haiti had made Voodoo its national religion and God was punishing them. That just broke my heart.. not because I thought it wasn't true but to say that just seemed so harsh and unnecessary. I wondered if that woman's mother had died and I went up to her and said.. "oh.. she is dead cause she sinned" how she would feel.

When God created this world and everything in it, He never meant for it to be the way it is. Sin caused that. We are all well aware of the fact that horrible things happen as a result of sin being in the world and I am not suggesting we sugar coat it and pretend that is not the reason but we don't need to ram it down people's throats and preach it. We need to come alongside the Haitians and show them that God loves them and how He meant the world to be when he created it. I just thought it was an arrogant remark and it made me mad and I needed to get it out!

I have also been struggling with how to help. I wish that I could just jump on a plane and go there and help them with whatever they need.. but I can't. I was in Walmart today and they had a sign up telling people that if they wanted to donate to the RedCross to just tell your cashier and they will add it to your total. I was happy.. a way to help! I told my cashier to add some to my total. She tried unsuccesfully a couple of times and then told me to come back tomorrow and try again. I was crushed. I realize that the money I would have given wouldn't have gone to someone that exact second but I still felt defeated.

As I walked out of Walmart feeling slightly defeated I realized that I have the biggest tool available for helping these people. I have a God who listens to the cries of his people. I will go to Him in prayer as often as He brings them to mind.. that is what I can do 1000's of miles away... I would encourage you to do the same.

3 comments:

Laura E. said...

your blog made me tear up! great post. good writer! such a sad sad story hey! and pray we will!!! love you!

Unknown said...

Hey Anne
Your sentiments echoed a lot of what I've been feeling since I heard news of the earthquake in Haiti (also last Wed, also because I don't watch the news in front of Caleb and therefore miss it unless it's on the radio). I've been glued to the CBC during my morning and afternoon commute...

Anyway, there's some story behind it - perhaps I'll email you more details - but here: http://haititeam2010.blogspot.com/

This is a mission team from Halifax. They include many very specific prayer requests and praying for them has helped me feel more...connected...I guess. I've been passing it on because I think that each additional person praying for them is...priceless (to use an already overused cliche).

Wendy

Amanda Carew said...

Anne, I think that comment you mentioned was posted on my facebook (not by me, I'd like to clarify) and I thank you for not "stirring the pot" on my page, I hate when people start fighting on my page..lol.
However, i do want to say, when I saw the comment the lady had posted I realize it most likely would anger some people who don't know her. She comes from a church who does a lot of work in Haiti and has a really big heart, I think she just didn't properly relay what she wanted to say. There is sin in every part of this world, and I don't for one second believe the earthquake happened because of their sin.
I read on a blog somewhere that it doesn't matter "WHY" the earthquake happened, what matters now is that we come alongside Haiti and help them in any way we can, as they are suffering imaginable pain. I totally agree.