Our Creator, God

Tuesday, March 14

5:48 p.m.

The pickup truck bounces and jolts as it makes its way over Haiti’s rough terrain.  

Inside the cab, I turn to one of the local Lemuel staff and question him in Creole about our last home visit.

Earlier that afternoon we had divided into three groups to visit the sick, elderly and those with special needs in the community. I was the translator for my group and although naturally reserved, I was loving my role!

It suddenly brought back memories of when I was a teenager, working in a hot greenhouse, my arms scratched and often bleeding from the sharp thorns on the rosebushes, daydreaming about what I would do when I grew up. I had finally decided that one of the coolest jobs, was to travel and work as a translator in a foreign country. Common sense soon led me to a much more practical field of study, namely, Business Administration, but now, more than fifteen years later, bumping along a deserted road in Haiti, it struck me how I was suddenly doing it! I was traveling and translating in a foreign country! What was even better than I had ever imagined was that the words I translated and shared were those of hope and encouragement as we visited and shared food provisions from God with those in need.

Mulling this over in my mind, I was reminded of the words of Psalm 37:3-4 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

That night as I continued to think and contemplate, I was once again struck by the beauty of the stars sparkling overhead. What an incredible God we served!

In the days following as I continued to process everything I had seen and heard, both the good and really hard things, I read these words in Isaiah:

Isaiah 41:17-20

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:

That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.