Yesterday was forecast to be 104 degrees and sunny. Yet, while I was teaching in the afternoon, all of a sudden the sky opened up and emptied its contents on Waco, Tx. Baylor got hit pretty hard, but nothing compared to my neighborhood. I knew things were not right when the street lights were out near my home. As I drove along, I started to see downed limbs, and behold, downed trees. I pulled into the gas station to fill up and the power was out.
I started to fear what might have happened at my house.
I drove home along my street and the same story, downed limbs and trees littered the pavement.
As Jesus tells us, the rain falls on the just and unjust alike. So, how did I fare? The tree in my backyard was split in two.
I only lost a lousy hackberry tree in my back yard. It really was a pretty useless tree. It is was in the middle of the yard, provided no shade for the house, and was not all that pretty.
I am from Houston and have survived SO many hurricanes. However, when hurricane Ike hit I knew I was more fortunate than others, but I was not as fortunate as I had been in the past. I was not only without electricity and water for a week and a half, but I was also trapped in my house for days. A large tree had trapped three families in their houses (including mine). I am claustrophobic and have panic disorder.. it obviously was not the best thing for me and one day I was so frustrated and anygry that I went outside and started ripping the tree apart with my bare hands. Not my best idea ever, but I did suprisingly well. Then, the strangest thing happened. My neighborhood is not one of the best and we never speak to neighbors or anyone around. But that day my entire block came out and helped clear the tree out of the way from all of the houses so that everyone was able to get out. It was the greatest act of community and kindness I had ever seen in my neighborhood and was so inspiring. I guess its true, God works in mysterious ways.
ReplyDelete