Rising.

“Remember when the sound of rain used to be peaceful?” These were the words I  had sent via text to my family group text as I laid restlessly in bed this past weekend pondering what the next few hours would bring.

I feel like as a community and a state, many of us had that fear. Some from their rooftops, some from their attics, some huddled on furniture inside their homes which had began to float from the rising flood water trickling inside quickly invading their place of comfort, some in boats seeking those in need, and some watching horrifically from their seemingly comfortable home…We were all in a different place and in the same place at once.

They have dubbed the Hurricane Harvey “the thousand year flood,” meaning it would be a one in a thousand chance to experience this magnitude of rainfall from a single storm.

First Harvey blew in, ripping apart the coastline of Texas. The tornado warnings were so frequent my phone would pile them up before I could clear them all. There were a few points the rain was beating so hard against the window that it sounded like someone pressure washing every window all at once. The lightning had been so bright it literally turned the sky blue at some points. Though these things were all terrifying, the most terrifying thing was one word that kept coming from the updates of the devastation, “rising.”

This word would indicate more tragedy, more hurt, and more fear stricken humans wondering what would be next.

In the aftermath, I drove through so many neighborhoods where whole households sat on the curb. Though this site was gut wrenching there was something even more astonishing that had filled the street, vehicles.

These vehicles weren’t a product of the devastation, though there were many of those as well. No these vehicles had been the product of the love of Christ. They were people showing up to help others.

Rising had a new meaning.

Rising was churches, neighbors, strangers holding one another up; People who had lent a hand and loved those around them unconditionally.

Rising was those who told of complete strangers stepping up to put their lives in danger to save them even though they had no idea who they were.

Rising was the positivity and compassion of those who helped via social media by connecting strangers to rescuers.

Rising was those who lost their own home helping others despite of their own loss.

Rising was the barometer of Christ’s presence in a time where we all so easily could have fallen apart.

“Rise up and shine, for your light has come. The shining-greatness of the Lord has risen upon you. ² For see, darkness will cover the earth. Much darkness will cover the people. But the Lord will rise upon you, and His shining-greatness will be seen upon you. ³ Nations will come to your light. And kings will see the shining-greatness of the Lord on you.” –ISAIAH 60:1-3

I returned home thinking, isn’t that just like God?

Isn’t that like him to place a storm in our life so He can be glorified in the restoration.

He had gathered us together, He had mended in the midst of what looked so dismayed.

I once heard a pastor preaching a sermon where he said, “we have to walk by, faith not by sight.”

You see if we just sat around staring at devastation we would harvest more devastation.

This city, this state, this nation has not sat.

Our churches have not been still, our hearts have not been stilled by this storm in our lives.

People have gotten up and started moving, they started walking by faith.

People had lost everything but had faith that showed them there was a huge amount to gain.

That is how the power of God has risen above the waters and the hurt we felt for our neighbors and loved ones.

He turned the pain into compassion which lead to action.

We went from physically taking the hands of those in danger,  pulled them from the cold waters of a storm and we had begun lifting them emotionally and spiritually into the hope of the glory to come.

God wants to continue to do that.

God wants to see us rise long after our sight will be restored. He has always longed to cast light into our lives.

Yes, the storms are hard, Terrifying and we hate to see the devastation but if we hadn’t seen the storm we wouldn’t understand the joy of the sun.

Jesus, thank you for restoring hope in this land. God I pray that this storm would be the reason so many come to know you. God please provide and continue to glorify yourself through these trials. Lord let us not grow weary of being the light. Father fan the flames in our hearts to continue to shine brighter as our tired flesh attempts to dim them. Jesus comfort those who are hurting and send your angels to lift them up. Lord let us rise in the storms of our life and let us say it is well. In Jesus’ name amen.