A Shovelful of Silt.

I am covered in contaminated dirt. I have spent the last two days shoveling silt. Slimy. Powdery. Caked-on. Damp. Whatever kind you have, I specialize in it. With the Student Volunteer Army organized by the University of Canterbury, I have been traveling to the residential areas in desperate need of help. Equipped only with a shovel and work gloves, my hours have consisted of shoveling the dense piles of silt that bubbled up during the quake due to liquefaction into wheelbarrows. Shovelful after shovelful.

As I consider the last 48 hours, I am struck by the similarities between my physical work and my processing of the earthquake situation. Right now, the city is reeling from the destruction wrought by the unexpected quake in both buildings and lives. It is, figuratively, on its knees. I can relate. I have felt a vast spread of emotions this week. One moment I feel fine and the next I am crying. I am startled by passing buses thinking the ground is shaking from a quake. I have gotten worried about the safety of those I care about at home when I haven't spoken with them for a day. I am just not completely myself.

While shoveling the silt, I felt productive for the first time in a week. I was helping. Christchurch is a city covered in dense and difficult grime, but it is going to recover. One shovelful at a time. The last few days have made me feel just as hopeful. I am going to be fine. In fact, I am going to come out of this experience as a person who has dealt with adversity and found a way through. Auckland is a new adventure in the morning and I am sad to leave Christchurch, but I am confident that we will all make it through. God is good and faithful 'til the end. He will not abandon Christchurch and He will not abandon me during this difficult time. I am trusting in that.