Now I Know

Before the earthquake in Haiti, I knew very little about the country.  I didn't know that it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of its people living below the poverty line.  I didn't know about its painful history, frequent natural disasters, or its hundreds of thousands of orphans (which now might be close to a million?).  I didn't know about its utter void in basic infrastructure.  How did I not know these things?  Has my head been completely in the sand?

When you don't know about something, it's easy to dismiss it. 

But now I know...we all know.  And, now I can't dismiss it.  I can't erase the images I've seen over the last few weeks from my mind.  They've left quite an impression on my heart. 

I have no idea how to process all of this or what this means going forward.  But, I do know that I (we) can't forget about Haiti.  As the stories on the news turn to something else, we need to remember the beautiful people of Haiti, as well as those who are on the ground, working day and night to bring love and healing to a country in pain.