Texas...Together
On August 25th, the Gulf Coast of Texas had a deluge of Biblical proportions. Harvey, a category 4 hurricane, took aim and smashed into Rockport, Corpus Christie, and then made it's way north. Fifty counties, and over 150,000 properties were destroyed or severely damaged according to FEMA. Countless numbers have had their homes swamped with muck, water and mold, rendering the home unfit for living. Entire lifetimes have been washed away...rich, poor, black, white, yellow...it didn't discriminate as far as devastation was concerned.
Interstate 69, going from downtown Houston toward Kingwood had their concrete barriers moved blocking all lanes, north and south, by the waters that ran over it. Homes that never, ever flooded, did, and on grand proportions. Livestock had to be herded down the middle of a city street...Horses were evacuated from stables by Cypress Creek. Along with the scores of now homeless men, women, and children, were homeless pets. Some left behind, some washed away.
There was an outcry as to why Houston was not evacuated prior to the hurricane coming ashore. If you were here when Rita was forecast to hit, you know of the mass evacuation of over four million people. In that evacuation, over one hundred people lost their lives due to the heat and dehydration. People ran out of gas and were stranded with no way to get off the freeway. Three grueling days, in absolute gridlock resulted in over 100 deaths, including a bus carrying nursing home residents, some of which had therapeutic oxygen on board. When the axle of the bus caught fire, the bus exploded, killing 23 of the residents. The mass evacuation resulted in more deaths than the hurricane itself took, which is said to be only 120. The State government learned from that mistake, and evacuations during Harvey were more organized than they were for Rita. As of this writing, the estimated number of deaths from the flooding or other causes related to Hurricane Harvey is at an unofficial 29.
So, why all of this background? Because I want to make a point here, and it helps to know what happened from someone who is here, experiencing some of the loss.
My family didn't lose an entire house full of things or memories. What we suffered is what would amount to the sniffles in comparison to what others I know and have met have had. We had some foundation seepage that will make us pull up old carpet sooner rather than later, and replace some drywall and baseboards. Nothing major.
But here's the thing. Texas has come together. Everywhere you go, someone is asking if you sustained major damage. If you have, you are given hugs, sympathy, condolences, and in a number of cases, an offer of help. Whether the help is in food, clothing or mud-out help, it is offered. Prayers are offered up. Sometimes you end up offering up the help, but the thing is, it doesn't matter if your demographic, everyone puts their pants on the same way, one leg at a time. In other words, we're all part of the human race...we all are suffering some sort of loss. We have a common issue, and that commonality brings out the desire to help.
In the Bible, we see that desire to help over and over again. A common issue brings people together. In Exodus 17 we see that the Israelites went out to fight the Amelekites. Moses stood on a hill not far from the battle, with his hands uplifted to God. As long as his hands were lifted, the Israelites were successful in the battle, when his arms tired, they would fail. Aaron and Hur saw the advances and lulls and made the correlation between them and Moses's arms, so they stood on either side of him and held his arms up for the duration, and the Israelites were successful in the battle. In Ecclesiastes 4:12 it says: Though one may be over powered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
When we follow God, we are not meant to follow alone. The Bible says that we are not forsake the fellowship of other Christians, and that is true. We are stronger together than we are on our own.
Now, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we are seeing that concept bear out, and not just from the Christian community. From Louisiana, we had the Cajun Navy come with boats to help people they have never met to get to safety. People from Arizona, California, all over Texas, Florida, New Jersey and North and South Carolina have come to help. Donations have come from Patriot Supply in Idaho, in the form of survival rations and equipment...Dry goods from all over the country have poured in...Radio talk show hosts have donated...JJ Watt began a fundraiser with the idea of bringing in 100k, at this writing it has topped the 17 million dollar mark and is climbing. Mattress Mack, the owner of Gallery Furniture, opened his showrooms to evacuees. The Astros donated four million dollars to the relief effort, the Tampa Bay Rays donated all proceeds from the games the Astros played at Tropicana Field to the relief effort. Even with the devastation that Harvey brought to our State, it has also brought out the best in all of us.
The one thing we have to remember, after all is said and done, is that we have to continue helping others. Even when the last home is repaired, we need to check on our neighbors as a matter of course. When we see others in need, we should help where we can.
With our combined efforts, we will win this battle that Harvey has dumped on our doorsteps. When we set out alone, we will become wearied and worn, ready to give up and give in. God made us a part of a community when we accepted His Son into our lives. When we settled in Texas, whether it was through birth or getting here as fast as we could, we became a community. As a community, we are stronger, and better than we are alone. A three cord (or many corded) strand is not easily broken. Together we are better. Together we will rebuild the Gulf Coast and Southern Texas. Together, we win.
Interstate 69, going from downtown Houston toward Kingwood had their concrete barriers moved blocking all lanes, north and south, by the waters that ran over it. Homes that never, ever flooded, did, and on grand proportions. Livestock had to be herded down the middle of a city street...Horses were evacuated from stables by Cypress Creek. Along with the scores of now homeless men, women, and children, were homeless pets. Some left behind, some washed away.
There was an outcry as to why Houston was not evacuated prior to the hurricane coming ashore. If you were here when Rita was forecast to hit, you know of the mass evacuation of over four million people. In that evacuation, over one hundred people lost their lives due to the heat and dehydration. People ran out of gas and were stranded with no way to get off the freeway. Three grueling days, in absolute gridlock resulted in over 100 deaths, including a bus carrying nursing home residents, some of which had therapeutic oxygen on board. When the axle of the bus caught fire, the bus exploded, killing 23 of the residents. The mass evacuation resulted in more deaths than the hurricane itself took, which is said to be only 120. The State government learned from that mistake, and evacuations during Harvey were more organized than they were for Rita. As of this writing, the estimated number of deaths from the flooding or other causes related to Hurricane Harvey is at an unofficial 29.
So, why all of this background? Because I want to make a point here, and it helps to know what happened from someone who is here, experiencing some of the loss.
My family didn't lose an entire house full of things or memories. What we suffered is what would amount to the sniffles in comparison to what others I know and have met have had. We had some foundation seepage that will make us pull up old carpet sooner rather than later, and replace some drywall and baseboards. Nothing major.
But here's the thing. Texas has come together. Everywhere you go, someone is asking if you sustained major damage. If you have, you are given hugs, sympathy, condolences, and in a number of cases, an offer of help. Whether the help is in food, clothing or mud-out help, it is offered. Prayers are offered up. Sometimes you end up offering up the help, but the thing is, it doesn't matter if your demographic, everyone puts their pants on the same way, one leg at a time. In other words, we're all part of the human race...we all are suffering some sort of loss. We have a common issue, and that commonality brings out the desire to help.
In the Bible, we see that desire to help over and over again. A common issue brings people together. In Exodus 17 we see that the Israelites went out to fight the Amelekites. Moses stood on a hill not far from the battle, with his hands uplifted to God. As long as his hands were lifted, the Israelites were successful in the battle, when his arms tired, they would fail. Aaron and Hur saw the advances and lulls and made the correlation between them and Moses's arms, so they stood on either side of him and held his arms up for the duration, and the Israelites were successful in the battle. In Ecclesiastes 4:12 it says: Though one may be over powered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
When we follow God, we are not meant to follow alone. The Bible says that we are not forsake the fellowship of other Christians, and that is true. We are stronger together than we are on our own.
Now, in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we are seeing that concept bear out, and not just from the Christian community. From Louisiana, we had the Cajun Navy come with boats to help people they have never met to get to safety. People from Arizona, California, all over Texas, Florida, New Jersey and North and South Carolina have come to help. Donations have come from Patriot Supply in Idaho, in the form of survival rations and equipment...Dry goods from all over the country have poured in...Radio talk show hosts have donated...JJ Watt began a fundraiser with the idea of bringing in 100k, at this writing it has topped the 17 million dollar mark and is climbing. Mattress Mack, the owner of Gallery Furniture, opened his showrooms to evacuees. The Astros donated four million dollars to the relief effort, the Tampa Bay Rays donated all proceeds from the games the Astros played at Tropicana Field to the relief effort. Even with the devastation that Harvey brought to our State, it has also brought out the best in all of us.
The one thing we have to remember, after all is said and done, is that we have to continue helping others. Even when the last home is repaired, we need to check on our neighbors as a matter of course. When we see others in need, we should help where we can.
With our combined efforts, we will win this battle that Harvey has dumped on our doorsteps. When we set out alone, we will become wearied and worn, ready to give up and give in. God made us a part of a community when we accepted His Son into our lives. When we settled in Texas, whether it was through birth or getting here as fast as we could, we became a community. As a community, we are stronger, and better than we are alone. A three cord (or many corded) strand is not easily broken. Together we are better. Together we will rebuild the Gulf Coast and Southern Texas. Together, we win.
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