It was just after midnight in late June when we heard a high pitched squeaking sound coming from the air vent in the kitchen. This led me to go to the basement to investigate the cause of the sound. I was shocked to see that our basement was flooding fast with close to a foot of water filling the entire basement. My son and I quickly tried to rescue boxes, books and personal belongings and place them upstairs.
The water finally stopped rising at 1.5 ft and slowly receded over the next two hours. We lost so much of our personal memories through pictures, books and mementos. In addition we lost all of our appliances and book cases and suffered some electrical damages.
I asked for prayer for our family over Facebook because of the unprecedented flood. Pastor Tim Patterson responded by notifying the Baptist State Convention of Michigan Disaster Relief team to include us in their list of homes to assist.
Great encouragement
An unexpected disaster will shake up one’s life, routines and outlook, and cause one to grieve deeply over financial losses and the loss of meaningful personal belongings.
I felt like what David wrote in Psalm 61:1–3 as the waters receded in our basement in the middle of the night: “Hear my cry O God, listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”
Yet, the Lord provided unexpected love and help after the flood through a gift, offers for assistance and the work of the disaster relief team.
We are grateful for the Lord’s care demonstrated in various ways and through the disaster relief team’s work.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This article was written by Eli Garza and was originally published by the Baptist Beacon, newsjournal of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan.
