Across The World

Today I stepped on my iPhone 3Gs and broke the LCD screen. It will cost $200 to replace. I am sad. The feeling consumes me all day.
Today an impovrished city lies in dusty ruins due to a 7.0 earthquake. I am slightly moved. I think about it from time to time throughout the day.
Today I’m upset that I can’t afford to take my family to a Portland Trailblazers game. I need to make more money.
Today there are hundreds of thousands of people normally oppressed by their government who have no money for food, water, medicine, or shelter after a 7.0 earthquake destroyed everything they have.
Today my two year-old daughter is suffering from the common cold. I am worried to death for her. We took her to the doctor and paid nothing out of pocket to have her seen.
Today a young single Haitian woman who has lost everything holds her toddler whose head and face are hemoraging, crying in agony because there is no doctor to take her baby to, all while trying to comfort the screaming child.
Perspective is everything.
I could live in that city.
I could have lost everything.
I could be crushed, lifeless under the ruins of a concrete building.
Or worse, my children could be dead or suffering because of one of the worst natural desasters the world
has ever seen.
But for some reason it is not me, this time.
I am thankful for the mercy and protection of God. But I realize that He may allow any disaster to fall on me at anytime. And when that day comes, I will seek Him and trust that no matter what I am going through, that God could use it for His glory- though I may never understand this side of eternity.
More than that, I plead for the oppressed, the innocent, and even the evil who tonight are suffering.
I pray for forgiveness and a changed heart over my materialistic-greed-seeking attitude.
I pray that my heart will break and suffer with those who suffer and with those who mourn.
We are all God’s creation created good and in His image, yet stained by the effects of our sin.
Thank you Jesus for grace, love, and hope that comes from you- that is
you.
And may your great mercy fall upon the grief-stricken impovrished people of Haiti tonight.