What I Can Do

How many times must I be taught the same lessons? When the earthquake struck Haiti, I tried to turn away. I kept telling myself there was nothing I could do, I can't save EVERYONE, so I was going to focus on Operation: LOVE, pray for the people in Haiti, and just try and not think about it. We all saw how that turned out. I sort of got a mataphorical slap in the face from Heavenly Father. When the earthquake struck Chile, my heart broke, but a part of me said, "So what? I am stretched too thin with everything and I am not getting involved." The truth is, seeing those pictures all the time, thinking of the pain all the time, listening to the horror stories all the time...it is all JUST. TOO. MUCH. It hurts TOO. MUCH. It is too upsetting. That voice in my head...the Holy Ghost, my conciounce, my humanity...call it what you want, it has been wispering away since the earthquake. At first I ignored it. Then, I started thinking, "Shhhh! I don't want to hear!" Now, I am full-on FIGHTING with this voice! The problem is, to be true followers of Christ, we must mourn with those who mourn. That is all there is too it. Yes, it is uncomfortable. How do you think Jesus felt as he hung on the cross? We cannot profess to be Christian without weeping with those who weep. So, I am trying to tell myself to stop avoiding the hurt, watch the clips on the news, and let the tears flow. Be uncomfortable. Be sad. Ache for those people...or, actually, WITH those people. Part of me hates not being able to help. I see the pain and sorrow and I want to do something. The thing I forget is, I CAN do SOMETHING. I don't have money. I am not in Chile. I cannot hold the children as they cry, or comfort the mothers! But there is something I CAN do! Something that is stronger than anything I could do with my hands. I can PRAY. I can allow my heart to break and cry to Heavenly Father for those people. So, that is what I will do. I will allow myself to hurt. I will allow my heart to break. I will allow myself to cry. And I will raise my voice to God on behalf of those people who need it.