Earthquake for Thomas the Tank Engine (& Haiti)

Yesterday, my husband Dave, our son Ransom & I got together to discuss our response to the disaster in Haiti.  We began by watching videos of the better times in Haiti, followed by footage and images of the devastation.

It’s hard to know how much is too much for a four year old but we have tended not to shy away from letting him see real life.  I grew up poor in the hood and saw many horrible things with no explanation from anyone as to why the world was as crazy as it was.

In my own thoughts on parenting, I’ve always wanted to keep the good part of what I saw growing up – real life with real poverty & real consequences- but add our own perspective while also teaching him about our Christian worldview.  Being present to the real realities of the world at a young age benefited me tremendously, especially as it has formed me into a person of compassion for the suffering.  I am indebted to my humble inner-city Detroit upbringing.  Nothing, but thankful for it.

I invite you to join me in talking to your kids about the realities of what is happening in Haiti.

We also keep copies of the Voice of the Martyrs Magazine on our coffee table which I read through with him each month and then we pray for persecuted Christians around the world.  He  knows people die for no reason, disasters happen, kids are taken from their homes and treated cruelly, folks starve.

After he saw the earthquake images he began to cry.  Oh crap, I thought, now we’ve done it, we took it to far.  When we asked him what made him cry, he replied, “I didn’t get to see the picture of Haiti because Daddy took it away! (Daddy scrolled down from the screen he was on) I wanted to see her!  Where is she?”  (Mind you he was up until midnight the night before and very very tired).

Phew.  After a little explaining that Haiti was not a person but a place, it all seemed to gel in his mind and he was particularly concerned about the kids.  We prayed together for about 10 minutes, at which point he cut us off to ask what were going to do. It was a case of the old ‘enough-prayin-now-let’s-get-to-work’ type of attitude that a lot of times infects us all.

I invite you to join me in praying for a good solid chunk of time specifically and only for the situation going on there.

We decided on giving a baby kit, which you can find out more information here. After going back and forth with $1, then $3, then $5, then back to $3, Ransom decided to give a full $5 from his money jar even though he knew that was one less toy he’ll get to buy later.  I was so proud of him!  We all pooled our money into a bowl for the cost of the baby kit.

I invite you to join my fam in giving a baby kit.

I sent a this text: 90999 to the American Red Cross which puts an additional $10 on your phone bill, which is then forwarded to the relief efforts.

I invite you to join me in giving up $10 dollars.

In the next few days, after deciding this next months budget we are going to figure out what we can give in a greater capacity, after figuring out what we can forgo in order to so.  We’ll be giving to a wonderful organization (showcased at Urbana ’09) called “Haiti Partners,” which focuses on helping Haitians change Haiti.  If you’d like to give to Haiti, I’d suggest this one as an option.

I invite you to join my fam in sacrificing something specific -a pizza & movie night, etc.- to give a donation to Haiti.

As Dave & I were figuring out the details we looked over and realized Ransom had destroyed his train tracks.  (His train tracks that Daddy & him spend hours & hours playing with almost every day for the last 2.5 years) 

When we asked him why he did it, he said he didn’t.  He said there was an earthquake on the Island of Sodor (the home of Thomas the Tank Engine & all his friends) and that the trains needed help!  “They need God & they need money!” he said.

It was clear, it had all sunk in.

Though it’s easy to turn a blind eye (or maybe a sensationalized eye) to all that is going on…

I invite you join me in thinking, praying through, giving sacrificially and letting it all sink in ways that cause you to respond boldly and bravely.