But for the Grace of God

Like many of you, I've been greatly impacted by the devastating news in Haiti these last weeks. Many of the news reports have moved me to tears. I can't begin to imagine the extreme emptiness and hopelessness that many people there must feel during this time. I can't comprehend what it would be like if I had to try and provide for my family in those conditions.

I also end up having a LOT of questions. I know that God is in control and yet it becomes difficult to understand why things like this happen. Like many others, I have feelings of "survivors guilt." I ask why I am so blessed to have what I do when others have had so much taken from them.

Those unanswerable questions could plague me for the rest of my days. They could take away any hope for the future or could even destroy my faith. But the reality is that there will ALWAYS be unanswerable questions. There are just some things that are beyond our understanding. While I try not to merely "sweep them under the rug," I also know that dwelling on them endlessly is vanity.

So I've wrestled through the questions, I've cried my tears and now I want to take some actions to help. First and foremost, I can always pray. There are many people providing support in Haiti and they need our prayers. The victims need our prayers. If there are more survivors not yet found, they need our prayers. Secondly, we were privileged to go to "Feed My Starving Children" one evening with Vicki's Girl Scout troop. We packed food for an hour, but that hour will support many lives. And lastly, there are many, many dollars needed to continue the recovery effort. Now that Haiti is not top news, it will quickly fade into the background of other "hot stories." I urge you to find a tried and true mission organization that can bring both practical needs and hope in God. For us, that will be Samaritan's Purse. They are an amazing group who are well organized and are meeting physical and spiritual needs.

And I've come to a peace knowing that God himself will decide how long I stay on this rock. Until that day, I want to continue to work to serve Him as best as I know how.