Assigning adjectives to the devastation brought on by the Haitian earthquake threatens to bankrupt the English language. Currently, reports are circulating that thousands are dead. Morgues are full and bodies are piled high along the debris-strewn streets. Scores more are likely still trapped, and hundreds of thousands of the country’s island residents are without the basic necessities of life.
The needs are breathtaking and nearly endless in scope and size. But along with our prayers, we might offer a very tangible contribution to the relief efforts by making a monetary contribution to one of the many excellent organizations on the ground in Haiti. Among those you may want to consider are:
- World Vision 1-888-511-6548
- Mercy Ships International 1-903-939-7000
- Samaritan’s Purse 1-828-262-1980
- Compassion International 1-800-336-7676
On a very practical level, a Christian’s response to a catastrophe of this magnitude isn’t likely to be much different than that of his non-believing neighbor. But in some ways, emotionally and spiritually, processing this type of tragedy can prove more difficult. That’s because if you don’t believe in God, the events of this past week are reduced to a random strike of bad luck.
As Christians, however, we’re forced to wrestle with the prevailing sovereignty of God, despite the gloom, and the fact that even when He doesn’t make sense to us, He still does make sense.
You’ll remember that in the Old Testament, Job was forced to endure loss after devastating loss. He lamented his plight each step of the way, crying out to the Lord for deliverance, but in the end, he never did find out why God had chosen him to endure what he did. In the man of Job, we find a model of prayerful endurance. In these days and weeks to come, we must pray for the Haitian people, that they will not only hang on, but see God’s grace and power manifest in amazing ways.
If you have any friends or family members impacted personally by the disaster in Haiti, we have an entire staff who are here to lend their support and pray with you at no cost to you. I hope you will give them a call. Our counseling office is open from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM (MT) Monday through Friday, and you may reach them by calling 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
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