Prayer for Haiti

In my little bubble, the biggest challenge I have today is whether or not I will complete all the work I have to get done before 5:30 when it's quitting time while sitting in my climate-controlled office in a relatively comfy chair. My biggest worry is the health of my father and father-in-law, who both have access to some of the best medical care in the world. The only little details I had to think about this morning were driving safely on relatively decent roadways, packing a healthy lunch with food I bought at a supermarket, and pouring clean water into a clean water bottle after I showered with clean water using "fancy" soaps and shampoos.

I did not wake up this morning wondering if my relatives were crushed under the weight of a poorly constructed building destroyed by an earthquake, nor did I wake up in a pile of rubble wondering if anyone would be able to find me.

I am not going through my day wondering when the airport will open so that foreign aid and medical assitance can arrive quicker to help me, my friends, my family, my neighbors.

My face did not appear on the front page of CNN covered in ash, tears rolling down my cheeks, crying out for help.

My voice did not echo in the streets of Port-au-Prince in prayer, asking God for help in one of many, many different ways as the aftershocks of a destructive earthquake shivered beneath my feet.

I have found myself in an ordinary American day, while the ordinary days of hundreds in Haiti have drastically changed. My heart is full of concern for the people of Haiti, for their loved ones in the United States, for those trying to find out how their loved ones are and if they survived. All I can do is pray, encourage others to help where they can, and help where God has equipped me to help.

Please pray for those who are affected by this disaster, and if you are able to help please do whatever you can.

Heavenly Father - please help the people of Haiti receive the help, food, water, and assistance they need as they face the struggles of recovery ahead. Please let the aftershocks be minimal and not cause any further damage. Please let the souls of those lost into the gates of Heaven, and please comfort the hearts of those surviving family and friends through the losses of their loved ones. Please move in the hearts of those who have the ability and means to help to do so. Please hear the cries of those in Haiti, hear the hearts and prayers of those not there who are crying out to you. Let the world rise into action for this poor country, and let the hearts and bodies of those affected by this quake be healed.

God - Please help those of us who think we live "regular, ordinary, mundane lives" to realize how blessed we truly are, and help us to use our blessings to help others in need both around us and on a more global level. Help us to see that we should not take a single moment for granted.

In Jesus' name - Amen.

Psalm 147:3: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Resources:
CNN's Coverage of the Earthquake in Haiti
CNN - Impact Your World - How you can help
World Vision - Online Donations for Haiti Relief
The Livesay Haiti Weblog