anna fox
staff writer
Higher Ground
S
omewhere between the rain and racing
water mixed with… whatever. Our house that we had
against the rising river to prepare for
spent so much time making a home these last few years,
This time last month I was looking forward to my
coming floodwaters, Fall arrived. And
welcomed our sweet little baby into, and made so many
birthday month, planning a short mountain getaway
as I walked through a jumbled mess of
of our first memories as a family would need a lot more
and Fall pictures with our own little punkin’. Now we’re
than just a couple days to dry.
staring down the barrel of the holidays, full speed ahead
floorboards and soggy belongings days later, above the
thick smell of stagnant water, the air felt oddly crisp and
But even in that surreal moment, we were still
fresh through the open windows. The weather was gor-
incredibly blessed. We had a safe, dry place to go in the
geous again, even as the river continued to reach far and
midst of it all where we could leave Emma and take care
Another friend of mine whose house also had ma-
deep beyond its regular boundaries. The bright sunlight
of whatever we needed to do and we had had time to
jor flood damage had been planning their little girl’s
was completely opposite of the dreary days we’d had
put most of our sentimental things up before it actually
first birthday party the week of the flood. When they
for weeks. If we hadn’t just lost our house, I’m sure we
reached us. And when it was all over and the water final-
were displaced just days before, all their belongings
would have been planning a first pumpkin patch visit
ly stopped rising, you could still see the majority of our
now stored wherever they could find a dry place at the
with our little family.
house, which is more than I can say for so many. “Things
moment, she commented on how quickly her per-
are just things,” as a friend of mine said.
spective changed. Where she had been planning every
Up until the very day it happened, we had certain-
76
in one of my favorite seasons, and now a major remodel.
October was a wash, quite literally.
ly thought we were not going to get it, not going to be
Immediately we were covered in prayer and swamped
perfect detail with cute decorations and a profession-
affected by anything other than road closures and possi-
with offers to help in every way possible. Fundraisers,
al cake, now they had a cake baked at home, a few
ble loss of power. Even after the water rose, as we drove
food, childcare, labor- I still cannot believe how gracious
balloons and whatever family and friends could make
the boat through our neighborhood in disbelief, past our
and generous our friends and family are. The tears fell
it due to all the closed roads and bridges. It wasn’t the
mailboxes with just the tip-top of the posts showing; as
hard and we certainly felt the fear of the unknown days
“perfect” she had envisioned, but she couldn’t
we saw the water seeping in under the baseboards and
ahead. But we also knew that before it all began, Jesus
have asked for a sweeter celebration. Perspective is
rise up to ankle deep within just a couple hours while we
had been there. He had written this into part of His much
everything.
worked to get our belongings to higher ground; we as-
bigger, more perfect plan than we could wrap our heads
At this point, we are still in the “drying” stages.
sumed the worst had already happened. But returning
around. None of this, not one detail, was surprising to
We are sorting through everything that just got “put”
again to see the waterline crawling further and further
Him. My anxiety was not necessary; but it was real. And
somewhere to get it up and out of the water. We are
up the walls made us believe, and gave us a whole new
in my humanness, I was completely overwhelmed by the
s ettling in at our temporary address and trying to piece
respect for our beautiful Black River.
destruction I saw around me. I was tired and I felt lost at
together our to-do list for the next few months. The river
how quickly life had changed.
has significantly slowed and is beginning to show signs
So many of our friends, neighbors, and family had
trips where we had served others in the same ways.
already reported damages- minor to total losses. We
In college, I was part of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry
of the peaceful body of water we know and love. There
just worked in disbelief that we too were now victims of
and served in situations similar to this. And it was such
are huge piles of debris everywhere you look, revealing
this “one thousand year flood”. We weren’t able to fully
an unexpected blessing that week to hear from my cam-
the foundations of a community determined to rebuild.
assess the damages until days later, when we could fi-
pus minister and his wife letting us know that they were
One of my favorite artists, Sara Groves, sings, “Season
nally reach the house by car. Most everything the water
putting together a team of trained students to come
by season I watch Him amazed, in awe of the mystery
had touched, whatever we had not been able to phys-
“mud out” our house. Up until that point we had just
of His perfect ways…” We don’t understand. We never
ically move to higher ground, had become a total loss.
been picking our way through what little we knew about
do in times of hardship. But we trust that it makes us
There were minnows in our washing machine. There was
the whole process of setting out on the road to rebuild.
better, makes our relationship with Jesus more mean-
pink mold growing on all the interior doors. Our floating
But within a days’ work, they completely gutted all the
ingful when we have faith that His ways are perfect.
laminate flooring had literally floated into a huge pile in
nasty out of the house down to the bare studs and con-
What a way to usher in this season of Thanksgiving.
the middle of the house. Paint bubbled and sagged on
crete slab. How ironic it felt to be on the receiving end
As inconvenient and hard as it seems, we are honestly
every wall. Our mattresses were stained and full of river
of disaster relief efforts, reminiscing about other mission
thankful to be a part of such a time as this.
NOVEMBER 2015
SHEMAGAZINE.COM