Raise the roof.

In Haiti an 18month old boy was found this week, in amongst the rubble, a little life among the many dead. Even after so much time had elapsed from the devastation of the quake, he still lived. A miracle. To all us, the watching world, his life is a sign of hope. But for him, after a week of hell, and alone in the only safe place left from his broken world; he had a hard time coming out. The rescuers were strangers, the sky too bright, the earth around him a chaos he couldn't comprehend and so he was hesitant. Fearful. Clinging to the little dark space that had enveloped him when his whole world crashed around him. Until they brought him someone familiar, until a face reminded him of home. Until a voice he knew called out to him, "Don't be afraid, I'm here, your going to be all right. Don't be afraid." Then, and only after his auntie was in front of him, he raised his hands. He reached towards the home that's in anothers presence.
A friend once shared that he taught his grandma to, 'raise the roof', it became a greeting to eachother. A silly sign encompassing the characteristics of their love. While it brought many laughs seeing, Grandma 'raise the roof' (pump the air like a hip hop dancing queen), it was also comforting to be able to let loose and be silly with someone. Home is who you cry with and laugh at. Home is where you run when nothing else makes sense. I have never been good at answering that normal, break the ice question. Where is your home? Usually I just lie, but when i am caught off guard, I can start stuttering around about where my parents live, where my sisters live, where my auntie lives...it's so embarressing. I end up looking a little homeless and the person looks apologetic and bored. But honestly (which ironically doesn't make too much sense saying here, since I just admitted I am a prolific lier), home is my people. they are all over the place so don't even get me started...


i sort of paraphrase the whole haiti story cause we were talking about it in Sunday school and pretty much all crying at what a great picture that is of God. Because when your a fearful person ( not that I am speaking about anyone in particular here) even the sky looks like it is falling in on you somedays, but God appears out of the rubble and mess that has been made, He sees you in your little 'safe' corner and says, "Don't be afraid, your going to be all right. I am here now, so you can come out. Don't be afraid." That makes me want to raise the roof! raise it!:)

One of my 'home's' or should I say 'homies' is going in for surgery tomorrow. Please pray for Audra that God will comfort and protect her during the surgery and that the Dr.'s will be able to make a clean and complete removal of the tumor. She is an amazing mum and her 3 kids will miss her terribly while she is staying in the hospital, so pray for her kids and hubbie too, that as they wait for mum to get better their hearts will be comforted too... if you remember...because we pray to a God who raises little children out of an earthquake.