Help the Helpless

I don't know about you, but I feel helpless.  Helpless that I sit in my posh little world, in the middle of posh California, on the far west of the posh United States.  Helpless about the complete tragedy that shook (sorry, bad pun...) through Haiti a week ago. 

I've felt earthquakes.  Minor ones, aftershocks mostly.  In fact, just a week and a half ago I "saw" the results of the earthquake off the coast of northern California in my parent's pool, it was sloshing back and forth.  And I remember the big quake of 1989 that shook up San Francisco.  But I don't remember feeling much of anything about it back then though.

But now, my heart aches.  It aches for the Haitians.  To me, no amount of money will fix what's happened.  Sure, it will help with medical supplies (which are much needed), and it may help in the rebuilding efforts of their capitol city and fix their infrastructure.  But it doesn't fix the devastating loss they experienced. 

And all I can do is sit here and think of how I can help.  How one single person can impact their lives.  Truth is I can't.  No amount of money donated will seem like enough.  Honestly, the only way that I could maybe feel like I'm doing something, anything is to be there.  To help in the efforts to lift their spirits and rebuild their city and homes.  That's a ways away though.  Maybe, when volunteer groups (people without a "speciality") go over I'll be one of them. 

But I know that there is prayer.  I can pray.  And God can do a mighty thing through prayer.  He has before and He will again. 

So this is what I ask.  If you can, give.  There are tons of organizations out there that are taking donations specifically for Haiti relief.  Just think of the impact we would make, if you and everyone you know gave $5 and everyone they know gave $5, and so on and so forth.  There are tons of other places you can give:  Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and World Vision to name a few.  Me? I gave to Compassion International. Why that organization you ask? Well, because I sponsor a child through them. Because they are actioning in response to the Great Commission, because they are advocates for children, "to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty", because they are teaching the young about God and Jesus and how to follow them.

If you can't give, then pray.  Pray for peace among the nation, pray for healing, pray for those that are working around the clock searching for those that are trapped, there are a million and one things you can pray for for Haiti.

This is the point where I wish I knew the Bible well enough to reference a verse.  But I don't.  I know there there are plenty in there that are applicable.  Just pick it up and read any of it.

Ok, I'm getting off my little soap box now.