Who can explain Mother Nature and her seeming penchant for striking out and making her presence felt? Not many of us can even attempt to place Mother Nature on the therapy couch,  and get her to talk. She strikes when she feels like it. In the midst of the havoc that she creates, I see a positive. When she wreaks havoc on land sea or air, she serves to remind us of our humanity and our almost unanimous, unfailing desire to rush to help our fellow human beings. We see a country in trouble and no matter our personal circumstances, we want to help. We received a chance this week when an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude struck Haiti. We responded.

Years ago, when I was in High School, Haiti was described as the "poorest country in the Western Hemisphere." It is still so described. But Haiti has neighbors, maybe not the richest anywhere on the globe, but neighbors willing to help. For this week Haiti's neighbors are as far away as China and Spain, among others. Omitting the US was not an error. It is expected that the US would be there and she was. The US is like extended family. No need to put in a call to family.

Haiti is receiving untold assistance in the form of labor, supplies, food, and cash. But, the assistance that most tugged at my heartstrings was story after story of "little miracles," as in little babies being rescued by news crews, rescue personnel and any able-bodied person with hands temporarily pressed into service, as digging implements.

When I was encouraged to write a weekly column about small miracles, I made the focus of the first article, the miracle of birth. This second installment, as did the first almost wrote itself, but this time it is a story of the miracle of "re-birth." Here are just two of many stories of rescue.

Haiti: British firemen dig out survivors - Times Online

There are numerous other stories of despair, less than noble behavior in the face of disaster, and delays in getting needed assistance to those in need. Those stories have also been covered. Some of those are situations of such  magnitude, that they are going to require huge miracles. In the meantime, God has granted small miracles such as the rescue of Redjeson and Mia Charlotte, both two-years old. Their miraculous recovery is sufficient for me to absorb and to feel immense gratitude.  These kids  handled their perilous situation with more grace than would be expected of toddlers. In many respects, these little ones are more mature than we their elders.

I pray that this disaster can be turned into a new beginning for all of Haiti, that it will have such a positive rebirth, that the "poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere" description, will no longer be associated with it. It would be another miracle that could be handed to Redjeson, Mia Charlotte and others of the future generation of Haitians.