Quote of the Day:
But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away. – Matthew 24:36-39
Flood?! I thought that was an odd choice for the Advent Photo A Day Project. The first image that jumped into my mind was the big flood of 1997 in the Red River Valley of the North. We were living in East Grand Forks at the time, had just sold our house, and I was staying in a ground floor apartment with Bobby, my oldest son, while my husband started living and working in another town. When the flood hit, I started packing. He came home, but by morning, the levees broke, and the flood waters spilled out. Once the water was set free, it flowed everywhere, covering miles and flooding every basement along the way. Somehow, the apartment buildings were spared and none of our possessions were lost. I had friends, though, who lost everything. Their entire houses were filled with flood water. A dirty, murky mess was left in its wake. I walked into one friend’s home and said, “It doesn’t even look like your place anymore.” She said, “No, now it’s a shithole.”
That’s how we left that community. It was the end of April. Many schools were damaged. Most people had flood damage in their homes. The school year ended. No final tests. No good-byes to my students. I saw a few as we came back to regroup and turn in grades. They had prom and graduation, but it was different.
Flood You can be flooded with emotion, flooded with paperwork, flooded with ideas. Flood, to me, means overwhelmed, suddenly, by outside forces beyond your control.
The verse above helps me understand, a little, why they chose this word. It’s like the time before the flood, we lived one way, going about our daily activities without too much care. Once the flood hit, everything changed.
Whatever floods your life, may you find a life raft, piloted by a great friend, to help you navigate.
Go. Create. Inspire!
Journaling Prompt: When have you felt overwhelmed, flooded by outside forces? Who helped you through those times?
What a scary thing to live through. We get some scary flooding here from hurricanes, and I’ve lived places that have seen that kind of flooding after rains. Makes you realize how frail humans are.
You will never forget that flood, nor will I. Nor will I forget the one we spent in your home of refuge. Banana bread anyone? How about playing in the snow with your borrowed family? 🙂
In 1997 we spent 42 days on our island surrounded by the floodwaters…it changed us forever. However God was in charge and helped us through and we sold that house a year later and moved to where it does not flood… It was a horrible time..we were lucky many were not especially in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. We lived at Harwood outside the dike:(