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<\/a>For days, all we did was watch the news, check\u00a0Facebook, contact friends, and watch the water rise.\u00a0 When the rain finally stopped and we\u00a0were able to get out of our neighborhood, the\u00a0breadth of the damage was more than we could have ever imagined.<\/p>\nWe were fortunate not to have flooded so we banded together with others to\u00a0start helping where we could.\u00a0 And like most Houstonians, we lost track of days, somehow\u00a0losing the end of August and beginning of September.\u00a0 It was easy to do, all sense of normalcy was gone.<\/p>\n
In the weeks that have passed, there’s been\u00a0so much to do and process.\u00a0 But there have\u00a0been\u00a0two major themes that keep rolling around in my head.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0Storms do\u00a0not discriminate.<\/h3>\n
Harvey didn’t care where you lived, how much money you made, about your skin color, about your\u00a0nationality, what language you spoke,\u00a0 what political party you registered with, what your marital status was,\u00a0\u00a0or anything else.\u00a0 It’s sole purpose was to cause fear and destruction.\u00a0 And it did, for hundreds of thousands of people.<\/p>\n
I saw people from all different areas and different backgrounds grieve as precious pictures, momentos, heirlooms, and evidence of normal life\u00a0were dragged to the curb as trash.\u00a0 They worried as tow truck after tow truck carried off water logged vehicles, wondering how they were going to get to work and if they would be able to find replacements.\u00a0 They were frustrated as they tried to cut through all the red tape of insurance companies and FEMA while trying to find alternate housing.\u00a0 They felt anxious about the start of school for their kids, especially when so many of them were going to alternative campuses because of flood damage.\u00a0 They all were longing for normal life again.<\/p>\n
We are so much more alike than we remember.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before the storm hit, life and its stresses were happening.\u00a0\u00a0 And they didn’t stop just because Harvey came to town, no matter how much\u00a0we wished\u00a0for them\u00a0take a week or two off.\u00a0 It seemed too much to deal with losing all your belongings and still getting the cancer diagnosis,\u00a0 having to start or continue treatments, experiencing the death of a loved one, dealing with accidents and injuries, working through a divorce, managing\u00a0depression, losing a job,….\u00a0 It’s so much at one time.<\/p>\n Yet, life does not pause for the storm.<\/em>\u00a0 It continues in it’s relentless manner, demanding attention.\u00a0 How are we supposed to handle it all?<\/p>\n We were not meant to walk this earth alone.\u00a0God created us for community, to encourage and help one another.<\/p>\n Harvey brought that out in a powerful way.\u00a0 People from all over the country Neighbors helping neighbors.\u00a0 Strangers helping strangers.\u00a0 People loving and caring for one another.\u00a0 All done without regard to anyone’s background, heritage, skin color, political stance, or any other criteria we use to separate ourselves.<\/p>\n Author Bren\u00e9 Brown was right when she said, ‘people are hard to hate close up, move in’.\u00a0\u00a0We did and were reminded how inextricably connected we are.<\/p>\n I\u00a0pray I never forget.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast line a month ago.\u00a0 It hit Rockport, Texas as a category 4\u00a0storm, stalled near the coast dumping several feet of water,\u00a0headed back out to the Gulf and made landfall again bringing more rain.\u00a0 It … Continue reading 2.\u00a0The stresses of Life do not take a break\u00a0when a storm hits.<\/h3>\n
Community<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
<\/a>descended on the coast to rescue people from houses and vehicles; many of them\u00a0ordinary citizens with boats joining the first responders.\u00a0 They brought clothing, food, and water for those who were displaced or in need.\u00a0 They helped at\u00a0shelters in anyway necessary to care for those without a home. \u00a0They went to neighborhoods to\u00a0help\u00a0muck out houses, bringing much needed supplies.\u00a0 They took lunches and water into\u00a0areas where clean up was happening without wanting anything in return.<\/p>\n