February 2010
Ever had ‘what if” thoughts stab you in the heart?
Any one, Anywhere, Any time
I threw a glance up at the single star brave enough to still be shining in the dark sky above the streetlight-less road. Thank goodness the storm isn’t here yet. The soft rays of yellow escaping through the front windows of the modern single-level home ahead beckoned to me like a lighthouse. Scrunching farther down into my warm jacket, I adjusted the beam of my flashlight and picked up speed. Tomorrow night might be a different story. With Environment Canada’s warning that the Pineapple Express will bring severe winds and heavy rains. Funny how something that is happening so far away can affect us so much.
A smile came to my lips when my ears caught wild scuffling on the other side of the door. Then complete silence followed, which amplified the thud of my discarded shoes dropping onto the hard garage floor. I turned the key in the lock and flung the door open. Seeing that I was at eye-level to and just inches away from a pair of bright eyes, I chuckled. “Yeah, it’s me again.” The dog responded by thrusting a wet nose in the direction of my face. Ducking out of reach with a laugh, I climbed the two steps to the door, patted the top of his sleek brown head, and cuddled him. After that, gently nudging his thigh-high shoulder, I pleaded, “Let me past so I can turn on the back lights. I promise we’ll go out and play before I feed you.” I padded toward the back of the house, listening to the pitter-patter of the New Zealand Heading as he followed me across the hardwood floor. Suddenly he charged by me, pounced on a ball, and bounded back with it in his mouth. I laughed and shook my head. “We’ll play with one of your outside toys. You sure know we play when I’m dogsitting, don’t you?” Dogsitting. What a great word for scaled-down babysitting. My left eyebrow lifted. Wonder what it says about a society where even the dogs have babysitters? And more food and toys than most people in the world?
Wrapped in the wild night’s wet black shroud late the next evening, I once again hurried in the direction of my lanky brown-and-white friend. Let him out. Tuck him into bed. And then you’re home. The wind made a sound like water tearing across sand and my eyes rose to the towering evergreens close by. Please Lord, don’t let the batteries on my flashlight die, I breathed, realizing that I couldn’t even distinguish the forest from the sky. I gave myself a mental shake. This is ridiculous. You only have to go two houses and you know what’s here. Nothing has changed. You’re on a paved road with no traffic, your neighbour’s lawn is on one side, and there are trees on the other. Soon you’ll be back in your own cozy little house, snuggled into your easy chair again watching the end of the TV show. So what if the storm is here? It’ll pass and tomorrow everything will be back to normal. You are so blessed! Just think of the earthquake victims in Haiti.
A horrific slide show featuring earthquake survivors started to play in my mind. Bloody faces and moving arms sandwiched between concrete slabs. Huge shocked eyes belonging to gaunt children wondering aimlessly through mountains of rubble. Weeping filthy people desperately searching for loved ones. Weary people trying to survive without even food or water after having survived with not much more for years. Real people caught in a real-life nightmare. Tears in my eyes, I pushed the images from my mind but facts sprung up take their place. A 7.0 earthquake hitting right before dark. Hospitals, several orphanages, schools, government buildings, the International airport, communications systems, all destroyed. 33 aftershocks, fourteen of which registered 5.0 and 5.9. A guestimate of 200,00 dead. Hundreds of thousands of injured. An estimate of over 2 million people now homeless in Port-au-Prince and surrounding area.
An icy hand gripped my heart. Haven’t our scientists been warning us for some time to prepare for the same thing? They’re always saying that the two stuck tetonic plates off the West Coast could let go any moment and a massive earthquake will follow. What if the earthquake had happened here in Canada instead of in Haiti? What if it had happened to me? Would I be wondering around in silent shock or screaming for my missing loved ones? What if I had no water or food? Could the unthinkable that is happening in Haiti actually happen here? The stench of my neighbour’s and friend’s dead bodies turning my stomach. My dead loved ones being carted away by dump truck to be buried with 80,000 other people in a mass grave. And what if I were severely injured? If I made it to one of the few remaining places where I could get medical help, would there be any supplies left? Or would I, like many injured in Haiti, be treated with cardboard splints and already-used latex gloves, or have no painkillers when I must endure an amputation performed with a vodka-disinfected hacksaw?
Life is fragile. Every day we live is a gift from God. Are we thankful for it? Do we remember that natural disasters can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. This one happened to some of the poorest people in Haiti. But it could just as well have happened to me in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. And some catastrophe could happen to you too. Then, who will sacrifice to give money to reputable relief agencies so they can help you? Who will pray for you and your rescuers? Who will provide the means to rebuild your home and your life? It’s often said that ‘to whom much is given much is expected or required’. Right now, it’s time for those of us who have much to be *’good Samaritans’ to Haiti.
* Luke 10:29-37 The Holy Bible
Sources for information on situation in Haiti: Wikepedia Encyclopaedia and CNN
PS: I’m giving as much as I can and I hope that you are too. Below are links to just a few reputable agencies working in Haiti that will use your money wisely:
MCC, World Vision, Crossroads, and The Salvation Army
Tags: dog, Haiti Earthquake, relief agencies