Helpless

It started with the rain on Saturday. I drove to church to make sure everything was set up in the Fellowship Hall for the service the next day. As I drove home Mill Creek was already full to the top and starting to cover the pasture where it often floods in a lot of rain. And the forecast said more rain was coming… a lot more. Later, as we drove to the creek to look at the water rising, we realized that if this continued, we would likely be stuck in our house for there would be no way for us to leave our subdivision.

When we got back, I got a call from my brother-in-law in Michigan. When I heard his voice I could tell there was a problem. It was about Katy, my big sister. They didn’t know what had happened yet, but she was having stroke like symptoms and she was in the hospital.

And all the while, it continued to rain. We had been watching the weather because with the heavy rain was the possibility of tornados as well. It was storm cell after storm cell, “freight-training” their way up along a stalled weather front. They were predicting a lot more rain and a lot of localized flooding. We soon began to think about all the rain and that we may indeed not be able to get out of the subdivision to go to church in the morning.

Then the phone rang again. It was my brother-in-law again. They suspected that Katy had had a brain aneurysm and they were taking her to a major hospital to do emergency surgery. I had dealt with a church member who had a brain aneurysm in my church in Iowa. She collapsed in a restaurant, went into a coma and died within a few hours. That episode raced through my mind. My sister? A brain aneurysm? I knew it was serious and I asked if I should come up to be with the family. He said he didn’t know but it was too early to say.

And the rain continued. The water now was racing over the creek banks, flooding into houses and sweeping buildings down the road. Cars were submerged on Interstate 24 and one person had drowned there. Officials were telling everyone to stay home. It was too dangerous to be driving when there was major flash flooding all over the area.

Then my niece called with an update on Katy. They weren’t able to find the aneurysm and she was not doing well. I asked her if I should come up. Her voice faltered and quivered. “Uncle Jerry, I really think you should.” At that moment, I was terribly afraid that I was going to lose my big sister. I had this fear that she would not survive whatever it was that had gone so horribly wrong in her brain.

And then both worlds collided. I realized that I could not go up to be with her even if I wanted to. The roads around us were all flooded, the major roads were flooded and even so there were no more flights out and those what were were being cancelled. I wanted to be with my sister but I was unable to leave my house because of the flooding.

I am one who tries to fix things. I like to fix broken things in our house. I like to try to fix broken relationships if possible. I like to give it a try at the very least. And this horrible thing was beyond my fixing. I could do nothing at all but wait and pray. It is one of the few times in my life that I can recall feeling totally helpless.

Psalm 29:10-11 says:
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace.

In spite of the helplessness that we sometimes feel and in spite of the horrible devastation and loss that we have experienced around us in the recent flooding, God sits enthroned above it all. However, God is not removed and distant; God is with us, giving us strength and blessing us with peace. I felt helpless but it helped me to remember again that in all our lives we are helpless and we need God’s presence and strength in every part of our lives.

Pastor Jerry June 2010