Oh my, do I have things to update you on! Let just talk about this week. What a week it's been. Maybe you live somewhere in the country where it's rained a lot. That's really all it's done here in the last week. I think we already have over 10 inches of rain for this area this month and that just doesn't happen here. Well, not until now.
On Monday evening, I was leaving work and the skies were dark. I was hoping to get home before the storm started but that didn't happen. I was still about half way from home when the rain started and it was a heavy and constant rain. I sat outside of my apartment in my car simply because I knew I was going to get soaked trying to go inside. So I tried to sit the storm out in my car. But within about 20 or so minutes, I realized it wasn't going to stop and my parking lot was collecting a lot of water. So I decided to move my car over to a car wash that's beside the property. It's on higher ground so I moved over there. But the rain kept coming and about another 20 minutes had passed. That's what I remembered my camera was in my trunk. It was time to start documenting this rain.
The pics were taken between 6 and 6:30pm. My neighbors weren't home so their car was still in the lot that you see there. And that's the building I live in. So you can see at this point that the water is pretty high. But we all kept thinking, "If it just stops raining, the water will start to recede." Lots of us were outside that evening watching the water rise and deciding what to do. Some people were even taking advantage of the water in the parking lot!
At this point, we're honestly thinking that the water will recede. It may not recede that night, but by morning, we all thought we would see a difference. I eventually parked my car in the lot behind my apartment building. It was also on higher ground. And I tip toed through the water to my apartment. And I can tell you that by time I went to bed, the water had gone down a few inches. I wasn't worried at that point.
But I woke up around 2:30am. I was startled. I looked over to Buckeye's bed to see if maybe he had woken me up but he was sound asleep so I knew that whatever woke me up, Buckeye couldn't hear. So I got out of bed and decided to go downstairs to see what it looked like outside. The water had risen. And at that point, I was worried. So I decided to head back upstairs to pack some clothes and get some things together for Buckeye so that if we needed to leave, we would be ready. This whole process took maybe 20 minutes. I remember saying to Buckeye (cause we all know dogs understand exactly what we're saying), "OK, let's go see what it looks like outside." Of course, he takes off running down the stairs and then I hear "plop." Water was already in the house. I don't have pictures from that time, obviously. I just remember thinking, "How on earth am I going to get out of here with a few bags and the dog?" Because at that point, the water was too high outside for Buckeye to walk through. Luckily, when I opened my front door, there was a guy on the other side of the parking lot on the hill. I remember yelling across asking if he could come help get Buckeye out. Honestly, I was willing to leave my stuff and just grab Buckeye. He is my family! I wanted him safe!
Two guys came. One grabbed Buckeye for me. Another grabbed my bags while I grabbed my purse and looked around to make there was nothing else I wanted to try to save. I was so torn. I wanted to save everything. The things in my house were mine. I had worked hard for most of it. I was proud of what I had. But I also knew it was just stuff. So I told him now. He took my arm and led me out into the night. But then, it was about 3:30am. The water in my apartment was almost about 8-10 inches high. And when we got outside onto the sidewalk, the water was up to my knees. I could hear Buckeye whining. It was a very surreal moment. This had to be someone else's life. This is the stuff you see and hear about on TV. This was not my life. But it was. This young man helped me get to my car while the other young man brought Buckeye to me. We threw everything into the car. Buckeye was shaking. I probably was too. But I started the car and we pulled away.
I got onto the road and called my mom. I didn't care that it was 3:30am. And I knew she wouldn't either. As soon as she answered the phone, I burst into tears. I was so relieved to hear my mom's voice. I don't care how old you are; when you hear your mom's voice in moments like this, you are reminded that everything will be ok. It took me a little time to get things together and decide what to do. I even had to go get dog food for Buckeye. I remember walking into the store with the swollen eyes, soaking wet feet and thinking "these people must think I'm crazy." But I didn't care. I really just wanted to get to my mom. And when I did, she held out her arms and I buried my head and bawled. I'm not ashamed of that. My heart was breaking. Yes, it was all just stuff. But that was the life that I had built for myself. And at that point, I had no idea what was going to happen. I just knew that my apartment had flooded. I was safe. I was so thankful for that. I wasn't homeless. I was thankful for that too. But the pain was still there.
I had to go into that work that morning to get a few things done but I didn't stay long. My staff was so understanding. I left that morning and went back to the apartments to see what it looked like. Here's what I found.
It was so sad to see. This was my home. I loved my apartment! And yes, as I've told myself a million times, it is just stuff. But it was still mine. I left that morning feeling quite lost. What comes next? My brain needed some time off though. So I headed to my friend's to take a nap. Plus, I wanted to see my dog. I know not everyone understands the love for animals but he's part of my family and I knew he was feeling lost as well.
I went back by the apartment that night just to see if the water had receded. With rain in the forecast, I was worried that it was going to be a week before I got back into my apartment. To my relief, the water had gone down a few inches. Not enough to get into my apartment but still, it was receding and that's what I wanted to see.
Some of the other tenants were out there that evening as well. It was heartbreaking to hear some of their stories. They talked about the things that they lost that meant so much to them. One tenant brought a small boat just so he could get to his apartment to get clothes for work. Another guy talked about having nowhere else to go. He didn't have friends or family he could stay with. One of the tenants hadn't even been in town when the apartments flooded. So she didn't have a chance to get anything out of her apartment beforehand. The one thing we all had in common, though, was that we felt like this had to be someone else's life. You see this on TV. You see the news reports of hurricanes and tornadoes sweeping across small towns. You hear about how people lost everything. And it's so hard to watch. But you get to turn off your TV at night and be thankful it's not you. But not this time. Not for us. It was us. Our lives got flipped upside down. But I needed to hear those stories. It cleared my head. That may sound strange to you, but it's the truth. I know I'm blessed. But it was at that moment that I went, "OK, God. You've got this under control. You're taking good care of me. I'm going to let you do what needs done." And once you let go of that control, you feel a sense of peace. No, life isn't giving me what I want. But God has a plan. And I had to trust and believe that it would be way better than I could imagine!
The next day I had to meet the news station out at the complex. My hope was that the little piece they would do on our local nightly news would bring people out to help. Not me but everyone else. That's what was needed. So many people were hurting. Maybe others would come out and help. I was nervous. I wasn't planning to be on the news. I was in my work shirt with my hair pulled up in a pitiful ponytail. But I went to meet them anyway. And to my surprise, the water was gone! I was going to be able to get into my apartment! I was so excited!!! I didn't go in then though. I waited. I waited til a friend could go with me. I needed the support. So my friend JC came back with me that afternoon and she even went in first. I don't know if you've ever imagined a flood going through your home but I can tell you that what I saw was not what I expected.
Lots of things were lost. My couch and chairs were ruined. The couch was a light yellow when we threw it out. Believe me, that wasn't the color before that. My bookcase was falling apart at the bottom because of the water. The flood ruined my TV stand and coffee table as well along with both of my end tables. Quite a few Thirty-One items were ruined too. It was sad to see what all I had to throw away. Luckily my TV was ok. My Wii U was ruined from the water too. Again, I know it's just stuff. I know I can replace it. But it's sad. I worked hard for my stuff. Some of it had just been bought in the last year. And since insurance isn't paying for it, it's going to take awhile to replace.
But God has been doing amazing things through this experience. That shouldn't be hard to believe really but it has been for me. I never doubted God would provide but he's exceeded my expectations!!! I've been staying with my friend Judy. It's so nice to know that I was welcomed here. Buckeye and I both! And he's enjoyed the big bed and getting to roam the house freely while we're all at work. He loves the extra attention too! Hee, hee!
And I've got amazing friends and family praying for me. I can feel the prayers. There's been this peace about everything. I've had my moments for sure. But most of the time I am at peace with what happened and I KNOW that God is taking care of things. And He's doing it in BIG ways! I found a home to rent. To make a long story short, this is a home I looked at awhile ago but decided I couldn't afford so I just let it go. But again, God has provided a way. I can't even believe it. I am excited! I'm nervous too. It's a big change but I think it will be a good one! And I can't wait to tell you all about it!
There are things I still worry about. How am I going to get this? How am I going to get that? If I can afford that, how am I even going to get it to the house? If I spend this, I can't do this. I even have my Thirty-One conference coming up at the end of July that I'm not sure I'll be able to go to. Just not sure it's in the budget. And I hate that. I want to go. It's a big part of my business but I'm just not sure it's possible. So I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't worried about some things. I am. But the majority of the time, I'm at peace.
I do have some things already. Two chairs. I'm going to be looking at a dining room table soon. I even received something that I didn't need but I'm so excited about that! It's going to take some time to get everything I need and I know that.
I'm thankful for the great friends who have been helping me clean and throw things out. I'm beyond thankful for the friends who have been praying for me. I'm thankful for the laughs and the hugs. And I'm even more thankful for a place to stay!
I know I'll have more to tell you in about a week and a half (when I get to move to my new place). And I'm sure I'll have some more stories of how God has provided! I'll have more pictures. And I'll be more rested.
I never expected a summer quite like this but I'm trying to be thankful just the same. God is good...all the time. Even when we're wondering where He is in the midst of the storm.
I think I've said this before but my life should be a musical! Not because it's that interesting. It's because I always seem to have a song stuck in my head that goes with something going on in my life or something I've just said. This situation has been different. These lyrics from "Let the Waters Rise" by Mikeschair say so much that I am unable to vocalize most of the time. So I just turn the song on and let it be my praise and prayer to a God who's right next to me as I tread through the water.
I will swim in the deep 'cause You'll bein' next to me
You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach
God, You know where I've been and You were there with me then
You were faithful before, You'll be faithful again, I'm holdin' Your hand
There's a ragin' sea right in front of me
Wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise if You want them to
I will follow You, I will follow You, I will follow You
I will follow God wherever He takes me.
On Monday evening, I was leaving work and the skies were dark. I was hoping to get home before the storm started but that didn't happen. I was still about half way from home when the rain started and it was a heavy and constant rain. I sat outside of my apartment in my car simply because I knew I was going to get soaked trying to go inside. So I tried to sit the storm out in my car. But within about 20 or so minutes, I realized it wasn't going to stop and my parking lot was collecting a lot of water. So I decided to move my car over to a car wash that's beside the property. It's on higher ground so I moved over there. But the rain kept coming and about another 20 minutes had passed. That's what I remembered my camera was in my trunk. It was time to start documenting this rain.
But I woke up around 2:30am. I was startled. I looked over to Buckeye's bed to see if maybe he had woken me up but he was sound asleep so I knew that whatever woke me up, Buckeye couldn't hear. So I got out of bed and decided to go downstairs to see what it looked like outside. The water had risen. And at that point, I was worried. So I decided to head back upstairs to pack some clothes and get some things together for Buckeye so that if we needed to leave, we would be ready. This whole process took maybe 20 minutes. I remember saying to Buckeye (cause we all know dogs understand exactly what we're saying), "OK, let's go see what it looks like outside." Of course, he takes off running down the stairs and then I hear "plop." Water was already in the house. I don't have pictures from that time, obviously. I just remember thinking, "How on earth am I going to get out of here with a few bags and the dog?" Because at that point, the water was too high outside for Buckeye to walk through. Luckily, when I opened my front door, there was a guy on the other side of the parking lot on the hill. I remember yelling across asking if he could come help get Buckeye out. Honestly, I was willing to leave my stuff and just grab Buckeye. He is my family! I wanted him safe!
Two guys came. One grabbed Buckeye for me. Another grabbed my bags while I grabbed my purse and looked around to make there was nothing else I wanted to try to save. I was so torn. I wanted to save everything. The things in my house were mine. I had worked hard for most of it. I was proud of what I had. But I also knew it was just stuff. So I told him now. He took my arm and led me out into the night. But then, it was about 3:30am. The water in my apartment was almost about 8-10 inches high. And when we got outside onto the sidewalk, the water was up to my knees. I could hear Buckeye whining. It was a very surreal moment. This had to be someone else's life. This is the stuff you see and hear about on TV. This was not my life. But it was. This young man helped me get to my car while the other young man brought Buckeye to me. We threw everything into the car. Buckeye was shaking. I probably was too. But I started the car and we pulled away.
I got onto the road and called my mom. I didn't care that it was 3:30am. And I knew she wouldn't either. As soon as she answered the phone, I burst into tears. I was so relieved to hear my mom's voice. I don't care how old you are; when you hear your mom's voice in moments like this, you are reminded that everything will be ok. It took me a little time to get things together and decide what to do. I even had to go get dog food for Buckeye. I remember walking into the store with the swollen eyes, soaking wet feet and thinking "these people must think I'm crazy." But I didn't care. I really just wanted to get to my mom. And when I did, she held out her arms and I buried my head and bawled. I'm not ashamed of that. My heart was breaking. Yes, it was all just stuff. But that was the life that I had built for myself. And at that point, I had no idea what was going to happen. I just knew that my apartment had flooded. I was safe. I was so thankful for that. I wasn't homeless. I was thankful for that too. But the pain was still there.
I had to go into that work that morning to get a few things done but I didn't stay long. My staff was so understanding. I left that morning and went back to the apartments to see what it looked like. Here's what I found.
 |
| This is the car wash where I had originally parked my car. |
 |
| This is the dumpster...gives you an idea of how high the water was. |
 |
| This is my back patio...with everything floating...some of it mine, some of it wasn't... |
 |
| My neighbors back patio. No one knows where the sand box came from. |
 |
| You can see on this door how high up the water was. You'll be able to compare it to another picture later on. |
I went back by the apartment that night just to see if the water had receded. With rain in the forecast, I was worried that it was going to be a week before I got back into my apartment. To my relief, the water had gone down a few inches. Not enough to get into my apartment but still, it was receding and that's what I wanted to see.
Some of the other tenants were out there that evening as well. It was heartbreaking to hear some of their stories. They talked about the things that they lost that meant so much to them. One tenant brought a small boat just so he could get to his apartment to get clothes for work. Another guy talked about having nowhere else to go. He didn't have friends or family he could stay with. One of the tenants hadn't even been in town when the apartments flooded. So she didn't have a chance to get anything out of her apartment beforehand. The one thing we all had in common, though, was that we felt like this had to be someone else's life. You see this on TV. You see the news reports of hurricanes and tornadoes sweeping across small towns. You hear about how people lost everything. And it's so hard to watch. But you get to turn off your TV at night and be thankful it's not you. But not this time. Not for us. It was us. Our lives got flipped upside down. But I needed to hear those stories. It cleared my head. That may sound strange to you, but it's the truth. I know I'm blessed. But it was at that moment that I went, "OK, God. You've got this under control. You're taking good care of me. I'm going to let you do what needs done." And once you let go of that control, you feel a sense of peace. No, life isn't giving me what I want. But God has a plan. And I had to trust and believe that it would be way better than I could imagine!
The next day I had to meet the news station out at the complex. My hope was that the little piece they would do on our local nightly news would bring people out to help. Not me but everyone else. That's what was needed. So many people were hurting. Maybe others would come out and help. I was nervous. I wasn't planning to be on the news. I was in my work shirt with my hair pulled up in a pitiful ponytail. But I went to meet them anyway. And to my surprise, the water was gone! I was going to be able to get into my apartment! I was so excited!!! I didn't go in then though. I waited. I waited til a friend could go with me. I needed the support. So my friend JC came back with me that afternoon and she even went in first. I don't know if you've ever imagined a flood going through your home but I can tell you that what I saw was not what I expected.
 |
| This is what it looked like when I opened my front door. |
 |
| This is one side of my coffee table. You can see the layer of dirt from the water. |
 |
| This is the front of my TV stand. Again, just more layers of dirt. You can see how the TV stand is bowing too. |
 |
| This is a view of the kitchen. The floor was just gross. All kinds of things had floated into the kitchen. It's just gross. |
Lots of things were lost. My couch and chairs were ruined. The couch was a light yellow when we threw it out. Believe me, that wasn't the color before that. My bookcase was falling apart at the bottom because of the water. The flood ruined my TV stand and coffee table as well along with both of my end tables. Quite a few Thirty-One items were ruined too. It was sad to see what all I had to throw away. Luckily my TV was ok. My Wii U was ruined from the water too. Again, I know it's just stuff. I know I can replace it. But it's sad. I worked hard for my stuff. Some of it had just been bought in the last year. And since insurance isn't paying for it, it's going to take awhile to replace.
But God has been doing amazing things through this experience. That shouldn't be hard to believe really but it has been for me. I never doubted God would provide but he's exceeded my expectations!!! I've been staying with my friend Judy. It's so nice to know that I was welcomed here. Buckeye and I both! And he's enjoyed the big bed and getting to roam the house freely while we're all at work. He loves the extra attention too! Hee, hee!
And I've got amazing friends and family praying for me. I can feel the prayers. There's been this peace about everything. I've had my moments for sure. But most of the time I am at peace with what happened and I KNOW that God is taking care of things. And He's doing it in BIG ways! I found a home to rent. To make a long story short, this is a home I looked at awhile ago but decided I couldn't afford so I just let it go. But again, God has provided a way. I can't even believe it. I am excited! I'm nervous too. It's a big change but I think it will be a good one! And I can't wait to tell you all about it!
There are things I still worry about. How am I going to get this? How am I going to get that? If I can afford that, how am I even going to get it to the house? If I spend this, I can't do this. I even have my Thirty-One conference coming up at the end of July that I'm not sure I'll be able to go to. Just not sure it's in the budget. And I hate that. I want to go. It's a big part of my business but I'm just not sure it's possible. So I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't worried about some things. I am. But the majority of the time, I'm at peace.
I do have some things already. Two chairs. I'm going to be looking at a dining room table soon. I even received something that I didn't need but I'm so excited about that! It's going to take some time to get everything I need and I know that.
I'm thankful for the great friends who have been helping me clean and throw things out. I'm beyond thankful for the friends who have been praying for me. I'm thankful for the laughs and the hugs. And I'm even more thankful for a place to stay!
I know I'll have more to tell you in about a week and a half (when I get to move to my new place). And I'm sure I'll have some more stories of how God has provided! I'll have more pictures. And I'll be more rested.
I never expected a summer quite like this but I'm trying to be thankful just the same. God is good...all the time. Even when we're wondering where He is in the midst of the storm.
I think I've said this before but my life should be a musical! Not because it's that interesting. It's because I always seem to have a song stuck in my head that goes with something going on in my life or something I've just said. This situation has been different. These lyrics from "Let the Waters Rise" by Mikeschair say so much that I am unable to vocalize most of the time. So I just turn the song on and let it be my praise and prayer to a God who's right next to me as I tread through the water.
I will swim in the deep 'cause You'll bein' next to me
You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach
God, You know where I've been and You were there with me then
You were faithful before, You'll be faithful again, I'm holdin' Your hand
Wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise if You want them to
I will follow You, I will follow You, I will follow You
I will follow God wherever He takes me.
Comments