I saw a report on the affect of the recent earthquake in Haiti [cnn:Anderson Cooper]. Specifically of the little girl that was pulled from the rubble of her home on the 3rd day after the quake by cnn news crews. This little girl climbed out and clutched the reporters like a girl would clutch her father when he holds her in his arms. It was a good and positive thing. Just as many of you have followed this natural disaster, I have done the same. We know that this was a great and devastating thing to our brothers and sisters down in Haiti. However, there are many stories of people who are trying to continue on and to find a way of living forward with their lives. They get up in the morning and put ‘one foot in front of the other’ and then go to face the day. My cousin Raphael once said to me (when we were talking about someone in an old age home) that one of the things that God told us to do when He first created us was to live. The people must now come out of this pain and live.

The people of Haiti who suffered this great devastation (1/10 of the population destroyed or injured) are now tested to see if they can follow that directive: to get up from this knockdown; put one foot in front of the other, go forward, plod onward and get past this tragedy.

The example of this young girl and the strong will of the young man that was pulled from the rubble on the 11th day after the quake; these are stories of human will and the desire to live; the desire to do that great will of God. There is a sadness when thinking of the plight of people who went through something of this type, but it is done and there is no way to bring those people back. It is a hard thing to do but our brothers and sisters down in Haiti must go on and above all they must take control of their destiny, rebuild in a better way, and live forward. After all, the country of Haiti itself was founded when men (formerly slaves) desired to live free and then showed the strength, faith and will power to go into the unknown world to build their own destiny. That act of faith by the founders of Haiti deserves respect and honor. I want your success and your rebuilding. Stand up on your feet, and show the independence that your founders believed you have. Then move forward in faith.

Christian viewpoint:  The rebuilding and redeeming of man to the favor of God is central to the ministry of Christ. Haiti is now to rebuild and become better for it. The mistakes made before are not to be repeated. God will guide them in this task.

disclaimer: This article is an opinion.