Something beautiful ...

I would be remiss not to mention the situation in Haiti. I really couldn't do so until today and even now I'm not completely sure that I can do justice to such an overwhelming topic. As image after image are displayed on my TV screen and story after story bleed through my radio, my heart becomes heavier and heavier. I don't know where to put such sadness, such grief. At first the shock would not allow me to understand how I was feeling or how I should feel. I make no claim to begin to really understand the depth of such pain and tragedy. But as I sat there trying to take in what I was witnessing, something beautiful happened.



There was an image of a lady lying on the ground with visible injuries as blood stained her shirt, face and arms. At her feet, standing over her was a man attempting to cover the woman with a blanket. He was going around her legs trying to tuck in the ends of the blanket so that she could feel some degree of comfort in her obvious state of pain.



The woman raised herself up on one elbow and felt for the man’s hand. She found it and brought his hand very slowly to her face. She held his hand to her face as she lay back down and they both began to cry.



And then I began to cry. I cried because it was beautiful.

I found that gesture profoundly beautiful because so often we underestimate the value and healing power of the human touch. A kind hand to just hold when you need it most makes the most potent drug pale in comparison.

Every day we are with people living in pain and oh, the good a kind word or soft touch could do! As much as we would like to go to Haiti and make a difference there, I do believe we can make a difference where we are---one sweet, meaningful touch at a time.