Hurricane Harvey

This week has been such a whirlwind. Hurricane Harvey made landfall Friday but Houston didn’t feel the effects until Saturday night.

As I sit in this cafe, I realise that I’m one of the lucky ones. Saturday night as wave after wave of rain slammed our neighborhood, we were lucky and didn’t have any water enter our home. We did suffer some slight leaking in our ceiling but very minor. I’m racked with guilt as I see what others went through.

So many people from our church had to leave their homes and FEET of water made their way inside. Others had to be evacuated by boats. I called my mom as we were trying to figure out what to do. We made the decision to stay but vowed our safety over any material things.

It rained so hard and so fast Saturday night. It was the most terrifying and hopeless feeling. Jordan and I watched as the water inched closer and closer to our front door. It rained so fast that the sewer actually backed up in our tub. Our phones kept buzzing with tornado warnings as we huddled on the bed with Snowflake praying and begging the rains to stop.

There was a break in the rain and Jordan and I took turns sleeping. It wasn’t very restful but once morning came and the water began to drain, we were so happy. Unfortunately, the rain wasn’t over and we had to deal with it again on Sunday. The waters didn’t rise as high but it was still bad.

We watched the news and social media feeds in horror. So many people lost precious mementos and heirlooms. Many were left stranded and had to be rescued. It was great to see others step up and help but my heart still hurts.

I’ve given to charities and donated extra supplies but it is still devastating. My hope is that people will put prejudice aside and help other humans. Houston is a great city and we will rebuild but it is so sad to see other houses in our neighborhood gutted out while we survived. Material things are just that, material. I pray that this tragedy that was meant for evil, God will use for good and that many will have new found hope.

If there is any way you can help, Houston would really appreciate it. The Houston Food Bank and Samaritan’s Purse are two great charities that are helping Houston. I would recommend starting there and then supporting Houston businesses as they begin to rebuild as well.