Like everyone, I have been horrified and deeply saddened by the devastation in Haiti. As an earthquake survivor myself, I know what it’s like to have your life crushed beyond recognition in a matter of minutes. It is unimaginable.

It took me years to recover emotionally and financially from the Northridge Earthquake that destroyed both my home and business on January 17th, 1994. To this day, I battle with recurring bouts of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) whenever a major earthquake happens anywhere in the world. It’s like my nervous system became re-wired and now becomes instantly triggered to respond whenever a earthquake occurs. So I have taught myself to focus on the blessings and miracles that also happen in the middle of tragedy.

This morning, I purposely looked for miracles — stories of survivors — that had happened in Haiti due to rescue efforts. And there were many, thank God.

Yesterday, Daphnee Plaisin and her husband Reginald Claude searched the ruins of
their home with their bare hands for their missing two-year-old son,
Redjeson. They knew that hope was fading with the hours that passed,
but they kept digging. Then suddenly their prayers were answered
and with the aid of Spanish and Belgian rescue workers, their baby was
found deep inside the rubble. It is a miracle he survived and with the exception of a some flesh wounds, was virtually unharmed.

Meanwhile, three small children were found alive in a tower block inside the building of their collapsed school. And at the Hotel Montana, a doctor who had feared she would be buried alive, was found alive and well after a 50 hour search. Miraculously, she had no broken bones.

These are the stories we must hold onto and continue to pray for.

We can never possibly understand why things happen but I can tell you that I know firsthand that even in the darkest, most terifying of events,
there are also miracles happening. We must continue to hope and pray against the odds that there will be more to come.

Peace & Blessings!