Wow! So as many of you know the earthquake in Haiti hit closer to home to me than I would of honestly ever liked to have. But in the raw and true reality it is super hard, but God is doing a new thing! My family has many ties to Haiti, and through all those ties yesterday we found out that the kids our family almost adopted 3 years ago (our friends ended up adopting them, and live just across town, praise God) sister in Haiti didn't make it through the earthquake. Also we have missionaries from our church here in small town Iowa that are having to send their children back to the states, because they don't know how much longer they will have clean water and food to eat.
But anyways back to my "click" "light on moment" I was sitting listening to my mom talk on the phone with our friends who adopted the boys from Haiti, just asking what were some major things you would tell these other families (we have 3 other families in the process of adopting 5 children from Haiti, and God willing 4 more will be coming back with them in the next few weeks and we are trusting God that families will rise to take them into their family) and as I sat there reflecting on the past week, and all the endless moments of praying, crying, and asking why, there is a hope a light at the end of the tunnel.
Through all this pain, physically and emotionally those who were Christ Followers are still praising God! If that were to happen here we "Christians" would be swearing at God, asking him why in the world would he do it to us? But these people trust God! They HAVE TO or there would be NO HOPE! They can't buy their hope like we can, if we feel sad we eat, buy new clothes to boost our ego, take a trip, or do something, but they have nothing to help "cover" their problems.
So as I went to get a drink of water tonight I turned on the sink and filled up my glass not thinking anything about it, then as I turned away my thought process changed! I've been in countries several times where I can't drink their water because its contaminated for a body with out resistance to it, but when in Haiti they don't even have bottled water, or real food, or a home, or hope for tomorrow. Some people have lost everyone in their family, and have nothing, does it seem fair NO OF COURSE NOT, but life isn't fair.
So finally I know I have skipped around a lot, but I'm still trying to process all of this while writing this out, but last people we need to stop complaining about the car we drive, the food on our plate, the clothes we are wearing, or whatever selfish thing we whine about, and start focusing our life's on God's daily plan like these people. Some times I feel like WE (AMERICANS!) are the ones in poverty, we have no hope past the next "new thing" where are you finding your HOPE, VALUE, and TRUTH? Is it in what your wearing, what your driving, what your eating, what are you spending your money that GOD has BLESSED you with on? Is it bringing him GLORY? HONOR? PRAISE? If not we need to do some rethinking.... I'm just as guilty, but its no excuse we need to live a life connected to Him, worthy of Him, and ready to give up everything (family, life, food, money) to follow him! WILL YOU?
