Zizi -- the little old lady rescued from a Haiti Catholic Cathedral and the photographer for Americares

Most of us live our lives relying on someone or something.  We spend our childhood relying on our parents providing us with  food, clothing and shelter.  As adults our reliance turns to government officials, our employers.  At times, hopefully more often than not we turn our reliance to the important place, God (our divine, our deity).

God provides for us.   We live, breathe, praise and show reverence for all that we have been given to God.  (or we should)

I think it is safe to say that most people have been caught up in the sadness, tragedy, survival that has come from Haiti's horrifying earthquake.  There have been stories on all sides of Haiti, including stories of death and stories of life.

I was reading through an article about the Haitian woman who was rescued from a Catholic Cathedral, Zizi.  Her story was one of extreme faith and devotion.  Her son, in the states, knew that at the time of the earthquake she would be in the collapsed Cathedral because that was where she always was at that time, without fail.  After a week and a day after being trapped in the rubble of the Cathedral, Zizi was rescued.

What I find most touching in this story is that on being rescued, she thanked God.  She told of her life during those days in the destruction.  She spoke with a vicar who was also trapped.  After several days, the vicar perished.  "I talked only to my boss, God," she told her rescuers. "And I didn't need any more humans."
(Her survival story can be found all over the internet but I got this particular quote from http://www.thespec.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/709777).

"I talked only to my boss, God," she told rescuers.  "And I didn't need any more humans."  Wow, that is a powerful statement of faith.  Can I say that and mean it?  Can I say with my greatest faith and devotion that I put all of my faith in God to protect and keep me safe.  Can I turn all of my reliance to God?

I would like to say yes.  In most places and parts of my life and faith, I can believe that God is providing me with all that I need.  In my deepest lows and my highest mountaintop experiences, I can see God.

Then there is a story I was just watching on CNN.  It is of the little boy that came out of the rubble with a huge grin on his face.  In his own little way, he looks like he is praising God.  The CNN news reporter, Moos, asks the photographer Matthew McDermott, if when he took the photo of the little boy and his big smile, if he was thinking that it could be a Pulitzer Prize winning photo.  The photographer immediately responded that that would be a little arrogant wouldn't it.  (Here is the video - http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/01/21/moos.mile.wide.smile.cnn?hpt=C2 ).  McDermott also commented that "we don't sit around and pat ourselves on the back."

In life we not only rely on "humans" to use the words of Zizi but, we also rely on compliments.  We can say they are not important.  We can say that we don't need compliments, but they still make us feel good.  I remember when the little man from church a couple months ago said, " You know, Mariesa, you always do such a great job with the kids.  Thank you."  I would like to say that I didn't need to hear it, but I did.  When I mentioned on my status update that I had been installed 10 years ago a couple Sunday's ago, one of my youth said "And you're still an amazing director!"  I didn't need to hear it, but I did.

Where am I headed with all this?  With all the needs and desires of the world that we think are important, with all of the times when we say we don't need to be patted on the back, that we don't need to have our ego stroked -- help us to remember the words of Zizi the little old lady rescued in Haiti.  "I talked only to my boss, God," she told rescuers.  "And I didn't need any more humans.http://www.thespec.com/News/CanadaWorld/article/709777).

AMEN