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.

What Coulda Been

About a week ago I was notified by a friend that an ex-boyfriend of mine, while on duty, was in a car accident that has resulted in him becoming paralyzed. She later followed up by e-mailing me a link to an article about what had happened. Tragic and sad. But what can I do, you know?

To be quite honest, I'm neutral about it. Sure, I feel for James and what he has gone through the last couple weeks, and what he'll have to go through in the future; but I'm "eeh" about it. I do pray that he has people to support him and help him as he adjusts to life with paralysis. But he burned me many years ago. Sure, I've moved on and forgiven him, but not forgotten.

Maybe I feel this way because of the way things ended between us. Not good. Not nice. Not happy and mutual.

On my part not mutual. But God has a way of working out situations. He always does and always will.

I told Rylen about what happened and forwarded the article. She came and visited me at my desk later that morning and we talked about it some. You see, Rylen was there from the beginning of the relationship to the end and was always there for me. So she knows the history. She made a comment that really made me think though, "Could you imagine how your life were right now if the two of you had gotten married? Your life would be flipped upside down right now."

Wow! I hadn't thought of that. That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. If we had gotten married like we had talked about way back when (about 8 years ago) things in my life wouldn't have happened as they have. I'd probably be a mom by now. Maybe I would or maybe I wouldn't be married to a cop, because while we were dating James was going to school to become a history teacher.

I can't write what the past or the future could have or will be had he continued to be in my life. I do know this though, as much as my heart goes out to him during this difficult time, I'm glad that I'm not involved. I'm glad, estatic really, that God removed me from that relationship and moved my life forward. Sure it hurt for awhile, but it got better. Life got better. I've done things and experienced things that I may not have, actually I know I wouldn't have, done and experienced had the relationship continued and resulted in marriage.

Although, I'm curious to see how he uses this new handicap. If he uses it to become a motivation to others, or as a crutch or an excuse. If he uses it for the better then he has become a better man than I expected.

My prayers go out to him.

I really can't help but be thankful.

This just goes to show that life happens whether you're ready for it or not. But it's how you choose to live life in the now.

Wondering...

What's the difference between having an active imagination and being a hopeless romantic?

Discuss.