About a week ago we got the opportunity to spend some time in the downtown area of Port-au-Prince. Despite that we have been here for almost a month, we have not seen much outside of the house and the church so spending a day in the city was a pretty big deal. The sights that I saw peering through the back bars of the box truck were sights of poverty, and of devastation, and of a third world country stricken by confusion and chaos.
As I sat and took all of this in, my mind wondered as to how I could pray for this country. What was God’s vision for this place? What was his plan for Haiti? Having an American perspective on life, my mind first went to success. I wanted to pray for Haiti to become successful, to become self-sufficient. I wanted Haiti to have nice streets, to have clean water, to have unbroken buildings, and to have luxuries.
It was in that moment that I realized that I was praying for Haiti to become like America.
Just as that thought struck me, I was reminded of the fact that success is not defined by material things. Success is not defined by how large, or how clean, or how modern a place is, not by Godly standards anyway. It was in the moment that God reminded me that I look at things with such clouded vision. That my prayer for this place should not be that it grows into a huge metropolis, but that it grows into a country that bleeds for the Lord. What was even more heart wrenching is that God reminded me that this third world country, stricken heavily by devastation, is more likely to turn wholly towards him that my very own America.
God’s vision for Haiti is not ever for it to become like the United States. God’s vision for Haiti is that is becomes a country that lives, breathes, and serves a living father despite the hurt and devastation that surrounds it. God’s vision is for this country to rise above the rubble, to be a country that overcomes, to be a country that is alive again. God’s vision for Haiti is nothing like my vision for Haiti… but I am beginning to realize that is probably a very good thing!
