Love around the World ...
Everything in Haiti is done on THEIR time. It doesn’t matter if you are in a hurry … everything just takes time. Which can be extremely frustrating, especially when we (as Americans) have learned to constantly be in a hurry and have things so instantly. However, even this week I witnessed the negative when someone rushes. Words are not said that need to be said, people do not do what they are supposed to do, and even a project is not completed in a manner worthy of a stamp of approval.
But yesterday, it was all about timing. The tears streaming down my face at various times, were because I believe it was and is … God’s perfect timing. For those of you that may not realize it … I was not supposed to be in Haiti this week. Let me give you a little recap …
Because of a volcano, I was not able to spend my vacation in Germany visiting and volunteering with the USO Wounded Warriors. Eric asked me a month ago to find a way to get the Peace Packs delivered to him in Haiti. When I helped Ruthie package & ship the Peace Packs in S. California 10 days ago, I had NO plans of being in Haiti right now. Every day since shipping those boxes, I have been on the phone with Fed Ex to make sure there were no issues. Funny thing … the minute they hit Haitian soil, there were issues.
As I explained previously, the government is corrupt. The government wanted us to pay duties and taxes on these little back packs that were literally filled with love and prayers from children in America to the children here in Haiti. The fact of the matter is, it took alot of work, tenacity, and resolve to get those boxes out of customs without having to pay duties and taxes. It was a God moment when they let us put the Peace Packs in the car.
But yesterday, it wasn’t just one moment … it was a culmination of knowing how hard I worked to get the Peace Packs here … and seeing Ruthie’s project come full circle for her. She would not have been here, had one of my friends not given me a buddy pass for her to use. If I had not gone through, the hoops with the translator that I went through … we would not have made the contact we needed to, in order to get a much larger and vital shipment into the country (more on this later).
You see, God can see the big picture … we can’t. And although there is death, starvation, dehydration, and tents all around us … I can see the beauty of us making a difference. If different steps had been taken, the result may not have been the same … and I am thankful that I listened to that still, small voice inside … that told me to “come” … because the beauty of following … is hearing God say “well done” … and that is far better than any words can really describe …
And for those of you who don’t believe in God … take a situation where you feel a tremendous amount of JOY. Where the universe has aligned, and you are just brimming from ear to ear. That is how I felt several times yesterday. Where the love you feel inside .. the admiration .. the gratitude .. is so enormous that you explode with emotion. When you look yourself in the mirror and really like who you see.
Now that my friends, is a really good day.
Tags: can-do.org, donations, Haiti, humanitarian, volunteering