My Life in Trash Bags

I remember before the first day of school began, the district I taught in would place all the teachers on hot, smelly school buses and have us tour the neighborhoods where the students lived. Home after home had large, black lawn size trash bags on their front porches. We soon learned this was where the students kept their clothing and other belongings, because there was no room in the home for them.

One week ago, this was momentarily my life. Hurricane Harvey hit our Texas community with a fierceness I’ve never experienced. The rain pelted the ground relentlessly. The first floor of our home was completely lost to the infested waters of the nearby river. Furniture, photos and the like covered in sewage and sludge.

What we could salvage was thrown into black garbage bags. The same kind of storage bags the students used.
The night before, as the water inched closer and closer, I stood on our back patio and prayed relentlessly. I rebuked the waters from passing over the patio line. I reminded God that He could stop the storm immediately. I even quoted the scripture in Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calms the storm for His disciples.

But God said No.

He had another plan. A better plan I cannot imagine yet, because my ways are not His ways (Isaiah 55: 8-9).

The flooding occurred overnight, so it was difficult to see what was happening. We could hear the water pouring in like a waterfall and were helpless to stop it. When light finally came through the windows, 3 feet of water stood on our first floor and it was STILL raining! The rain WOULD NOT STOP!

Boats were rescuing families from homes, because all 400 homes in our community were under this water. We took our trash bags, placed our children in the boat (where snakes were frantically swimming by) and floated away to our new normal.

A normal that consists of watching a truck with the words JUNK emblazoned on its side haul off trailer after trailer of our possessions.

But this is not the story I need to share – these are just the facts of an event that occurred in my life. The story I want to share – that I hope you continue to read is what took place before and after this catastrophic event.
My God is a good God – Always. In His infinite wisdom, He had been preparing me for this life altering event for months.

Back in March of this year, I began a journey of getting healthy and losing weight (written about this already, so feel free to take a look). Walking twice daily and other aerobic exercises were preparing me for the two mile walks required to return home because the demolition teams blocked the streets to drive in. There has also been a lot of heavy lifting and stair climbing to remove debris.

There is no way I could have helped with this at the beginning of 2017.

While walking every morning and night, my husband and I met many of our neighbors – neighbors that felt comfortable boating back into our homes with us after the rain stopped and waters receded enough to wade through the home to access damage. Neighbors who we knew needed help with tearing out sheet rock and removing granite and could send work crews from our church. Our pastor had preached a series on “Loving Your Neighbor,” and we were witnessing his words in action.

Seeds and Nuts A whole range of risk areas with headings such as djpaulkom.tv cialis no prescription commercial, legal, technical, regulatory compliance and security. Tomato:Know as the levitra 20 mg Love Apple, the notoriety of the tomato as a support to love has long been used to treat impotence by ancient cultures all over the world. You will find thought about this free samples of cialis risks connected with buying medications from overseas. But the patient can be given a longer life with the help of http://djpaulkom.tv/kokoe-x-dj-paul-kom-re-up-video/ cheap viagra in india. Every year our youth group participates in Bounce – a program helping areas demo and reconstruct homes affected by disaster. My daughter and husband had attended one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this past summer. As soon as the waters receded, 20 of these students and some of their families descended on our home (along with 31 of my husband’s co-workers and my tireless, hard- working brother) and our home was completely gutted in 24 hours. After that, many of my church friends helped clean, organize, and box, among other chores, the remains of our house that needed to be stored or go with us to our rental.

Within one day of homelessness, a beautiful friend took her home off the market and gave it to us as a rental. And it has a treadmill in the master bedroom!!

Both cars were totaled in the flood, so we needed rentals. Please understand, this hurricane affected four to five hundred thousand people in the Houston area. The chances of getting a rental were small. Four of us looked and made reservations in a town 20 miles away. We got up early and were the first ones in line at the Enterprise. When we walked in, the sweet man just shook his head and said he only had two. Telling him we could drive two more hours north to get the other two cars – he looked at me and said, “I want to help you. I’m going to give you my truck.” And he did.
So now my husband and I both had trucks which would help in hauling off and transferring items to the rental.
Sunday morning I had nothing to wear to church. A sweet friend brought over a dress; however it plunged a little low for worshiping Jesus. Fretting on what to do, I happened to look down by the bedroom door –and I kid you not, there was one safety pin pressed down in the carpet.

Friends have provided meals, numerous hours of labor, and restocked make-up (because this Texas girl loves a little make-up).

I know many people have similar stories of generosity and assistance, but one more event occurred that was a sweet gift from God to me only.

I am a women’s Bible teacher at our church and have been writing our fall curriculum on Isaiah. One commentary I ordered to help with research was not released until September 1. It is my favorite commentary when writing. Understand our entire neighborhood, as well as many around us, were completely submerged in water. There is no mail, UPS, Fed-Ex deliveries being made.
Yet…
On September 2, one small, yellow envelope leaned against the door of our flooded home. Inside was my Isaiah commentary. No other deliveries or mail had been made. So many cars, dumpsters and debris littered the streets that a truck could not get down to our home.
But God provided.

He always provides. Always.

From a safety pin on the floor to a place to lay our weary heads at night, He is faithful.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds. How long it will take to rebuild our home.
But I do know God is with us every step of the way. He has provided an incredible network of friends we consider family to walk beside us too.
I pray with all my heart you have this assurance in your life too.
If you don’t, or would like to know why I am madly in love with this great, big God, please reach out and ask. There is so much more I can share than in these few, meager words here.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6