Lisa Colón DeLay

A fellow student of mine is Haitian. Though he lives in Pennsylvania, his whole  family lives in Haiti. I contacted him directly to see if he had any ideas about how to help. Below is my initial email, followed by his response. His confidence in God is awing. Stay tuned for future posts on how to help Haiti, in ways that make a real difference. (Leave feedback, if you’d like.)

(from me)

Greetings Brother,

We’ve had a few classes together, and Ellis mentioned that you may be  

one to ask about how some of us, or ETS could be of assistance during  

this time of calamity in Haiti. Your family, and your country are in  

our prayers. I hope we might be a blessing in a tangible way to those  

who are suffering.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you.

Lisa DeLay

(from Chezaire)     

Dear Brothers and sisters,

Thank you for your emails, I truly appreciate them and they give a sense of comfort that my familiy and I are in your prayers.  My brother works at the epicenter of the earthquake, was he at work that day is still unkown?  The area where he lives with his family is completely crumbled, and another brother was visiting, and I don’t know if he was in town or left that day. I have over a dozen of cousins in that city with their families, only one is acounted for with a broken leg.  I am still praying and hoping some sorts of good news to come my way. I was in contact with that cousin’s mother, and encouraged her to give God praise for that son with a broken leg because as bad are things in Haiti, it could have been worse.

In time like this, we need to keep our heads in place, and keep our emotions in check while we have the desires to help.  

Several people have asked me how to help.  For now I can’t tell, I don’t really know my people’s needs except for being rescued, having medical care, water and food.  I beleive in the power of the Holy Spirit, continue to pray, I am sure He will dictate us what to do.

In His name,

Chezaire     

100,000 are feared dead in Haiti. Let us reflect on this prayer by St Francis, and seek to aid the people of this country with care and compassion.

Prayer Of St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

Leave your prayers for Haiti here.

Jumpy, foolish, and run amuck. That was Tootsie. I didn’t know her name, but when a skittish dog weaved up the center of my street towing a 20 foot chain, I called out to her, and tried to help.

She was friendly, but fearful. She panted and started for me, but when she realized I might end her dash toward total independence, she started to scoot away–her long chain clattered behind her. Instead of heightening my urgency, I scaled it back, and made my tone friendlier. “Come here, it’s okay!” I tapped my leg in what is a sort of international signal for dog to come. She perked up her ears, and darted around, still unsure of her next move. She was going to bolt. The long muddy chain was her foil. I edged after her, and she made a break for it. Then, I stepped on the chain, and used it to reel her in. Once arrested from flight, she was friendly and excited. With a hyper spirit only a very inbred dog exhibits, she jumped, and spun, and zipped about. My daughter was delighted.

Now to find the owner. The last thing I wanted was to keep a dog like this for too long. I sighed relief–her dog tag had a phone number. I phoned–the number was disconnected. She began barking, and jumping, popped two of our plastic balls, and knocked over her new water dish for the fourth time. I hoped there would be a big reward for finding her.

About an hour later, three children who had heard familiar barking came to get her. They said her name was Tootsie. Their gate was open, and they didn’t know how she got away.

I got to thinking about Tootsie, and her recklessness. Her ignorance of her freedom, and the danger she didn’t know she was in apart from her caretakers. The wild look in her eye, and the confusion of being on her own–excited, yet quite lost, and ultimately alone. Until I stepped in, her fate was dubious.

I wonder if we think of people with the same kind companion we do for animals. When someone has lost their way, feels alone, or is out of the watchful care they need, do we hurry to help them? Or do we size up everything first? Do we decide if it’s worth it, or if they are worthy of the work we’ll have to put in?

Maybe it’s easier to help an animal because we assume they are quite helpless, but people can do far better helping themselves. But, the truth is, no one can go it alone. Not Tootsie, not me, not you, not anyone. Reaching out is the only way things genuinely improve. And I don’t mean reaching out just any way, but with true graciousness. Real compassion, and the kind of love we hope is shown to us, or those we love.

How do you feel about it?

And have you ever rescued a person or animal?

Go ahead and talk about it in a comment. :)

Thanks for reading.