A Miracle In Haiti - Salvation of the Heart

Authorities state that it is rare, if not impossible, for a person to survive without water for more than 72 hours. Authorities have not met the people of Haiti.

Fifteen days after a magnitude-7 earthquake brought Port-Au-Prince to a pile of rubble, 17-year-old Darlene Etienne was pulled from a wreckage of cement and metal where she lay buried ALIVE since January 12.

Can you imagine the contrast? By then hope was gone and rescue efforts were officially halted in Haiti. But French rescue teams refused to stop. Now, with Darlene's rescue, they might return with radar equipment to search for other probable survivors.

The nation of Haiti has taught us a lesson or two about courage and hope. Countless rescues revealed a man, woman or child being pulled out of what seemed like the earth itself after days of being trapped, with grateful smiles; with proclamations that they were "not afraid, because they knew that God would not let them die; shouting thanks; and even singing praises.

I watch those video clips over and over again, and I wonder if I'd have the heart to survive being buried for several days in total darkness, scorching heat, possible injury and isolation from those I loved and needed. "What would keep me alive?" "What would matter?" But even more importantly, "What wouldn't matter?"

Yes, Haiti and Darlene Etienne's situation is extreme; but I'm compelled to re-evaluate my own life. What do I complain about? What are my discomforts; my pet peeves? What holds me back from being the best I can possibly be? What are my excuses? Am I obsessed with losing weight, how I look, or bad hair days?

I would hope that in dire situations my courage and hope would kick in, but am I even in possession of those attributes anyway? If I'm not feeding my mind and my soul the ingredients needed to produce such strength under pressure, chances are, it won't come out when I need it the most. And if I'm not feeding myself the necessary substances, then what am I ingesting?

The people of Haiti have taught me a lot about myself; looking in on their catastrophe, survival and triumph, I've learned that I have quite a journey of growing ahead of me. I can only hope that one day when those around me (or even myself) need ME the most, that I can become their miracle.

Did Haiti Serve Devil For God-Given Freedom?

On Tuesday, January 12, the nation of Haiti was rocked by a magnitude-7 earthquake that will change the nation forever. Although there is no way to fully understand what the victims are enduring, still, the human nature within us affords us the ability to empathize; to want to help our fellow human beings; to hurt because they hurt. Well, you would think so. There is always an exception to the rule: In this case they're Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh. Pat Robertson is the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, and host of The 700 Club. Check out his response to the Haiti tragedy.



Historically speaking, the Haitians were under "the heel of the French," and gained freedom through revolts. Is wanting freedom from the oppression of slavery such a bad thing that the devil is the one who made it happen and not God? In the early 19th century when the French feared that they were losing control of the blacks, their solution was to declare ALL blacks as slaves and to destroy 30,000 men and women. Haitians were burned alive, drowned, hanged, buried in piles of biting insects and boiled ALIVE in vats of molasses.

These brave people had every right to fight for freedom. Mr. Robertson, the history of blacks in this great country tells of revolts by men and women who knew that they had every right to their freedom. I doubt you'd say that blacks made a "pact with the devil" to gain their freedom in the United States of America, because that would awkwardly suggest that slavery was God-ordained and fighting tooth and nail for freedom was not. Furthermore, if it is by the hand of the devil that Haiti gained its independence, was God involved in their freedom?

Robertson's stance that God has punished Haiti for her evil, is self-righteous and cocky. That he can't see past his own religious biases; that he can JUDGE others in their darkest hours speaks volumes!

Finally, I'm not sure that Robertson would ever appreciate someone suggesting that the 9-11 attacks, for instance, came as God's judgment for the sins America has committed. No one would. It would be seen as insensitive, brutal and just plain wrong. I mean, to see those towers collapse, to see the horror of the aftermath, to see people jumping from the buildings to their death, to hear of the death toll, and then to sit in front of a camera on national television and casually say,

"You know what, something happened a long time ago in America, and people might not want to talk about it ..."