By now you know a 7.0 earthquake shattered Haiti. Reports are coming in in dribs and drabs but the situation is grave. Early pictures show a lot of tilted and shaken buildings and indicate many injured and mass chaos.
Every once in a while, we get a nudge, a request to pray. It is a reminder that we can never pray enough. It's a funny thing about prayer. For me, when I claim I don't have the time, the day is hard, the tone is hard, the process of getting through everything is hard. Conversely, when I nag myself to make the time, even if things are difficult, they aren't hard.
Prayer doesn't always alter the situation the way we wish, but it always alters the one offering the prayer. We cannot seek God's aid or love or attention in our direct petitions and not be affected by that calling out or His answer.
In the past, I've asked for any number of things, most of them by the world's standard, probably silly. God has always answered with lavish abundance. It humbles, or it should.
We often wait to pray until life brings us a situation that pulls us to our knees. But these sorts of massive tragedies remind me that I ought to be willing to pray more often and that every day with all the people I know, is a gift and rare and precious.
What we should hope, is the mere knowledge of others suffering, is enough to bring us to our knees, and to ask, and then to listen to how we are to be of service. At times like this, prayer is not the very least we can do, it is the beginning of what we must do.
Then, if you feel called to do something more physical and fiscal in response;
http://www.crs.org
They have a special fund already set up specifically for Haiti; and they are known to be good stewards to the sick, the poor and the suffering internationally.
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3 comments:
for me prayer is a constant ongoing conversation with the Father who loves me perfectly.
it's a cherished relationship.
great post Sherry
Jesuit Refugee Services is also providing support.
Donations can be mailed to:
Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
1016 16th Street NW Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
or go to:
www.jrsusa.org
Keep Haiti in Our Prayers
I just want to take the time to send out my thoughts and prayers to all the people in Haiti and all others who have been affected by this earthquake! My blessings go out to all of you and may GOD bless and comfort you in your time of need.
For those interested in helping immediately, you can text "HAITI" to "90999" and give a donation of $10 which will automatically go to the Red Cross to help with the relief efforts and charges will go to your cell phone bill and/or you can text “YELE” to 501501 which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Fund to help with the relief efforts in Haiti and charges will be billed to your cell phone.
You can also go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps and YELE.ORG to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts to help those survivors struggling in Haiti.
My condolences go out to all who have lost friends, family, loved ones and their homes in the 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 in Haiti. GOD bless those who are left and RIP to those who lost their lives.
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