Shout for Joy!

Rose Garden, Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond, VA

Shout aloud and sing for joy…

Isaiah 12:6

There is nothing joyful about an earthquake.  Having experienced my first one just a few weeks ago, I now understand how terrifying it is to feel the earth moving under your feet.  There have been far too many earthquakes in the last few months; early Sunday the earth heaved again as a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey, one of the most quake-prone regions of the world.  The death toll has risen to 366, but will go much higher as more bodies are pulled from the rubble.

There was great joy in the town of Ercis during the night, however, as a two-week-old baby girl was pulled alive from the rubble of her apartment building - 48 hours after the earthquake struck.  Baby Azra [her name means “desert flower”] was naked, shivering, and squalling, but in remarkably good condition, especially since overnight temperatures in the region were close to freezing.  Her parents remain buried in the rubble and their condition is unknown.

How in the world did this newborn survive the collapse of the multi-story building around her, and continue to live without clothing, food or water?  Rescuers had no answer for that question, but her tiny presence in the arms of a stranger lifted the hearts and spirits of all those who are desperately searching for survivors.  I invite you to pray with me today for little Azra, that she might continue to beat the odds, and for the rescuers who continue to search for the living amidst the wreckage.

Today’s Prayer Needs

For all those still trapped beneath the earthquake rubble

and for those who are searching to find them.

 Photo courtesy of CBS News on the Internet