Upside Down

I live in a little city called North Augusta, SC.  You’ll find it on Google Maps if you click the zoom button enough times.  North Augusta is where I’ve lived all my life.  I grew up in a church that is part of the cityscape.  I now go to church in the facilities I went to high school in.  I’ve taken many walks in Riverview Park.  I remember when the arrival of a Walmart Supercenter was a big deal.  North Augusta is my home.

What I have a hard time imagining is what would happen if all of my surroundings were turned upside down.  What if some of the landmarks of the city crumbled to the ground?  What if a majority of the people I know lost their homes instantly?  What would it be like if every street I went on in North Augusta was filled with devastation? 

That is the harsh reality thousands are facing in Haiti today.  What the people of Port-au-Prince call home is for the most part destroyed.  Many have lost family members in the tragedy that is presently in existence.  They are going through this where they call home.

I can’t picture spending one night in the street, and many are living this way.  There are people tirelessly looking for their family and people who have been notified their families are gone. 

Imagine if your world was turned upside down.  That is the reality in Haiti.  What you’re seeing is real.  These people are breathing the same air you are.  Those who were killed as a result of the damage are as precious as the person you love the most.  God made us all.  Would you do everything you could for those closest to you?  Do what you can for these people.