A Week's Reflection

A week ago I took my son back to college. His older sisters had left already, leaving only his younger brother at home now. I took Luke to campus, we ate together, and it was time for me to leave.

He is attending school in my hometown, and I had trouble leaving. I didn't want to leave him behind, didn't want to drive away from my hometown, and found myself in the local city cemetery where my great uncle was buried. I hadn't even remembered that for years.

I knew if I drove straight home, to an empty house because my husband and last child were at swim practice, I would have felt terribly depressed. So I went directly to a movie instead. I don't remember ever going to a movie theatre alone before, but it worked wonderfully, avoiding the darkness that would have awaited me at home. When I did arrive, my husband and son were already home, the house was full of light and life.

Meanwhile, the greatest tragedy playing out in recent history rocked Haiti. The quake happened about the time I was driving aimlessly around the cemetery. While I was absorbed in my personal woes, my brothers and sisters in Haiti fell beneath the crush of concrete and mortar. I had no idea of their pain as I enjoyed my movie.

Thankfully my strategy worked in keeping me from the slough of despond for the week. And I was able to focus prayers on Haiti and feel compassion for my fallen and wounded and heartsick brothers and sisters.

On Wednesday it seemed my Facebook friends fell into two categories, those with status posts about Haiti, and those with status posts about Pants on the Ground from American Idol.

The truth is, it is far too easy to continue in our complacency while others suffer. Most foreigners were quickly shipped out of Haiti, while the natives remain to deal with the chaos.

I remember previously when the political situation sent everyone foreign from Haiti, and my daughter Junia remarked that the native people had no escape, so why should others leave?

With the needs for basic life necessities right now, what Haiti doesn't need is a large influx of foreigners using up the necessary supplies. But I hope we continue to pray and give, not just for a week, or a month, or even a year, but long term.

New Orleans has still not recovered from Katrina. And this new tragedy has been stated to be 100 times greater in its damage. May we commit ourselves to long term concern and compassion, even though we may continue our daily lives, let us hold onto hope for those in need of such help, for years even, until Haiti is truly healed.