This week, my emotions are all over the place. I’m heartbroken for the victims in Haiti. The mass burials. The loss of life. The desperation and the struggle for the survivors to begin living a new life with less than they had before. I want to be able to do more, but I feel so helpless. My meager donation to the American Red Cross feels less than adequate.
I have been reading Money Saving Mom’s blog for quite some time and I want to encourage you to visit Crystal’s post about how she and her family are helping the victims in Haiti. Just by blogging about my small donation, her family will donate $10 to Compassion’s outreach in Haiti. If you have never heard of Compassion International, you should visit the site here.
(Click on the picture to go to Money Saving Mom’s post.)
When I got on Facebook tonight to catch up on status updates, I was very disappointed to read a few of the discouraging words people were saying about the aid that is being sent to help the Haitians and it broke my heart even further. I am not usually one to let others opinions sway my feelings toward them when I know they are passionate about what they are saying, but sometimes I feel like we are so desensitized to everything anymore that all we think of is ourselves. We don’t stop to walk a mile in anyone’s shoes before we start complaining.
It doesn’t matter if you make all the money in the world and live in beautiful mansions or palaces or if you live in a lean-to on a mattress in the mud, natural disasters are not something we can control and I have never heard anyone ask for something so catastrophic to happen to anyone. Why wouldn’t we want to help?
I don’t believe that we should be so quick to judge what is going on when we are so far removed from what has actually happened. The news is only capable of showing a tiny glimpse into the devastation these people have faced and will face for years to come. Our hearts should be focused on these poor, broken people and the lives that were lost, not pointing fingers and blaming those who are trying to help in the most basic way. We can’t all get on a plane and go to Haiti to help rescue victims and take care of the injured. Making financial contributions, whether it be through our government or through our texts/phone bills, we owe it to our brothers in sisters in Christ to make a difference.
I have so much more that I want to say, but I risk ruffling too many feathers and that is not my intention. However, if all of this tragedy was happening to you and your family, would it be more helpful to have people tell you how you should recover or actually take part in helping you recover?
amen Sister...................
ReplyDeleteMy dear friend Marlana. Your heart has been broken by THE VERY THINGS that are breaking the heart of GOD. You need not feel apologetic, because there are others who either can't or are reluctant to reach into that depth of compassion.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, feathers NEED to be ruffled and a heart that is compassionate is just the right voice. Whether people are lost in the rubble in New York or a mine in Kentucky or on the island of Haiti, compassion for life should be the same. No matter WHERE we walk, we are members of the human race and if we chose to value one life, more than another, because of "location", I wonder if we need to ask ourselves a few questions? "What have WE DONE to live where we live? What have WE DONE to chose the color of our skin. What have WE DONE to have parents who lovingly provided for us or WHAT HAVE WE DONE if we have survived out of a garbage can? What have WE DONE? Much of where we are and what we are in this life, is not of our control. What we choose to "do" with that, if well within our control. If we are in a privileged country with a privileged life (food/home/someone to love), with a privileged freedom, we CAN choose.....to bless those in need. Or ignore those in need. THAT we can choose.
Marlan, THANK YOU for choosing to be a person who shows compassion--even for those who are not your family or "friends". Thank you for choosing to be a person who chooses to demonstrate love and beauty, where there is destruction and ugliness. Thank you for choosing to CARE---far beyond your own bank account, household or circle of life. Thank you for acting like a member of the human race----who cares about ANOTHER member of the same race. No matter where they live. No matter their circumstance. No matter what.
For those who complain that there is poverty "here" in the U.S. and we should attend to that-- kudos. For those who complain that there is poverty here and USE that as an EXCUSE to not show compassion to those in devastation elsewhere...I hope you'll take a look in the mirror. When you see the image of your face and your shoulders, please know that IF, GOD FORBID, it were YOU that were covered in rubble by some disaster...it would be the "Marlana's" of the world, who would send what they could, to bring YOU rescue workers, water or food. She wouldn't care about "where" you lived...she would only care about how you were living. She would reach to you, as she has done the Haitians... because you needed help. It's as simple as that.
No apologies Marlana. And I have ruffled the feathers, instead of you. If there is frustration and anger because some people have to "look themselves in the mirror", so be it. Sometimes, it's that looking ourselves in the mirror that finally helps us to see the truth?
I am proud of you. I am thankful for your compassion--- and your passionate heart to care.
Candy
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI totally saw your linky on moneysavingmom.com. I thought someone was talking about me or something. My name is Marlana. How cool!!!!
Many Blessings,
Marlana
I was totally going to say "AMEN, SISTER!" and saw that someone beat me to it.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine housing a heart that WASN'T affected by Haiti. Nor would I want to.