What if it was me?

This entry comes from my husband, Matthew.

What if it was me?

I’ve asked myself this question hundreds of times this week. Each time a rescuer pulls a live body from the rubble, I think, “What if that person was me?”

If I were trapped beneath concrete walls with no food or water, I’d have to stay alive. Like all those rescued, I’d summon the will to live and hold out my hopes and prayers for a swift rescue.

If that person were me, I would want everyone who knew me to do everything they could to make sure I was rescued alive.

It reminded me of Jesus’ “golden rule.” The part about “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” These words mean more than letting someone take your parking space at Wal-Mart or helping the elderly lady cross the street.

Whatever you’d want others to do for you if you were trapped in Haiti, you ought to do right now.

That means becoming brave, and bold, and fearless. It means listening to your heart more than your head, and letting go of what is “accepted behavior.”

I had to confront this last night, as I wavered between sending some e-mails to friends and colleagues to ask for their help and prayer. “What will they think?” “Will they be angry?” “Am I offending them?”

But if I was trapped underneath a hotel in Haiti and my life was at stake, would that matter to me? Would I be concerned about offending someone if it meant widowing Melodie and orphaning my kids? Hardly.

I’m choosing boldness and action.

Pray that God would rescue and deliver those trapped beneath the rubble.

Give generously to those whose families are torn apart by this tragedy.

Write notes of encouragement to the victims families, and words of appreciation to the rescue teams.

Perform a deliberate act of kindness and compassion for a grieving family.

Go on a mission trip to Haiti when the rebuilding efforts begin.

Talk to your government leaders and tell them to keep the searches going where there are signs of life.

Listen to your own heart–listen to God–and do whatever He tells you to do. It may mean stepping away from the comfortable and the accepted. Which is exactly what I would want someone to do for me if I were waiting for rescue and my family was left not knowing my fate

That’s what I’d want, “if it was me.”