Rosebuds of Faith Series:Hope for Haiti....and the World

It is so tragic seeing the pictures on TV; you can see
the devastation of the land, and the horror in the
eyes of it's people. Listening to those who were
there tell of their experience, what they have
lost, the loved ones they cannot find...it is
unnerving at best. How could this happen?
What caused such a powerful quake? Why did
this happen to a country that is already suffering
under the burden of poverty, unrest, and illness?

Haiti is in reality a lovely island in the Caribbean.
The mass poverty overshadows it's beauty for
obvious reasons. If not for that, and for the political
strife that is ever present, it could easily be a resort,
a place where the wealthy, and even the not-so-wealthy,
would be pleased to go and relax, enjoy the weather and
the culture, and pour tons of money into the economy.
But it would appear it is not to be. So they stay repressed,
struggling, and still hoping for a better day. Yesterday
was not that day.

No...yesterday was a day of terror for these people. Not
man-made terror, not fear of the night, not even fear
of war. This terror has no real name. But it is very real,
and now these victims must try to live amidst the ruins
of their world, their homes gone, their finances even
more devastated. The infrastructure is literally vanished.
There are reports of bodies being stacked up in the streets.
And more reports of many people who may be buried alive
in buildings.

We can help. We can donate money, and goods, and, some
of us can offer our physical labor and talents. Doctors will be
needed; carpenters and builders will be in demand. There
will be a need for engineers and agricultural experts. Safe
drinking water will be a matter of huge importance. Yes,
there will be great need for the basics that we take for granted
every single day. And....there will be many opportunities.

Take the opportunity that each of us has, and pray. Pray for
a new day, for new hope, for God's mercies, which are new
every day, to be evident in this devastated place. Pray that
believers will be sent to that mission field, to offer physical
help, yes, but more importantly, to deliver the message that
no matter what a person faces, there is always hope.

Jesus tells us He is the hope of the world. He also says that we
should take our burdens to Him, because He can and will
shoulder them for us, and He will give us rest.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power
of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Send some hope to Haiti. Pray it to them. And when it is
made public those things that we can do as a people to help
them in their crisis, then let's don't sit back and do nothing...
let's reach out and touch them. Even the smallest touch
can and will make a great difference.

The essence of caring is the offering of hope. Let's give the
greatest gift we can to this suffering nation and to the whole
world.....the Hope that is from God Himself...Jesus Christ.

Blessings!