The Tension Beneath My Toes

My face was buried deep in Mockingjay. So much was happening in my life the story that I almost didn't notice the bedposts trembling and the sound of the window flaps clanging together. Amidst the stir, I stopped reading and blinked twice, to be sure I wasn't experiencing just a side-effect of a good book.
The shaking lasted just about seven seconds or so, but once it stopped, I didn't know what to do. I was mad at myself for not learning more about earthquakes before I moved here.

'Should I run outside?'
'Is something bigger coming?'
'Should I call someone?'
'CAN I call someone?'
'Should I just forget about it?'

I waited a minute or two. With my flip-flops on and my phone in-hand. Then I ventured out into the kitchen. Melissa and Ryan were just coming out, too. Josh and a visitor were outside, for good measure, I guess.

'Did you feel that?' and 'What is going to happen next?' were common questions among the five of us. Ryan and our guest, Conrad, pulled out their smart-phones and began educating us on what an earthquake of that magnitude signified and if we should be scared.

We found out that the epicenter was about 26 miles away from us and the quake clocked in at 4.6 on the scale. And we found out that often times, large earthquakes are preceded by quakes like the one we had just experienced. So yes, we should probably be worried about that.

I took this picture yesterday. There were cars parked in front of this wall, so I wasn't able to get a picture of the whole mural, but the children are planting and harvesting crops of hearts. Crops of love.

Last night in the kitchen there was a bit of nervous laughter and a lot of just not knowing what to do or what to expect. I felt as though the ground beneath my toes was tense. Like muscles overworked and tired. Tense.

The man who paints these murals is quite famous and there are many of them all over the city. I've seen a few that say "Ayiti p'ap peri"; Haiti will not perish.

To help with the tension I felt in my toes, I got into bed. I prayed and fell asleep.

God loves Haiti and everyone here is beautifully crafted in His image. As the rest of the world, Haiti needs Jesus. And mercy.