Haiti

Like so many others, I feel so helpless as I sit in my warm, comfortable home and watch the coverage on the disaster in Haiti and wonder what else can I do besides donate money. Money seems... like the easy way out... where time and service seems like a real gift. It would be nice to give a real gift. So I'm off to Haiti this week for a month... I kid, I kid. Although I really wish I could.

We were watching Nightline last night about the tragedy. The first story was about a family in Iowa (Ohio?) who have adopted a little girl in Haiti and have yet to go pick her up. They were beyond worried (rightfully so) wondering if their new little girl was safe and alive. A Nightline reporter found their little one safe and unharmed and reported back via Skype to the family. The family was in tears. Now don't get me wrong, I'm beyond happy that they know the new addition to their family is safe.

But what bothered me about this story was the statement "God was watching over our little one. He made sure she was okay. He didn't forget us. He answered our prayers." I cringed; I really cringed. Does this mean that God wasn't watching over the 10s of thousands whose story didn't end so nicely? That God didn't care enough to find a way to allow others to live? That God did not answer the thousands of other prayers? No. Absolutely not. God cares. Life happens. And unfortunately tragedy happens. I know what this family meant; I just wish it wasn't what this family said (on national t.v.)

So I continue sitting here reading and watching and knowing there is little more I can do than what I have done and hope that these people can somehow one day make sense of it and know that they have not been abandoned; that they live in a real world with real tragedy and that there is real hope beyond this life.

(off soapbox)