Flood of 2008

It is truly amazing to me how our community has come together in this time of crisis. I was especially touched by a Bible devotion sent to me by my pastor, and I'll include it in this entry. It helps me understand that this world is truly temporary. We are only here for a short time before we are called Home to our Heavenly Father...

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. - 2 Corinthians 5:1God’s people in the Old Testament knew about living in tents. The Israelites lived in them for 40 years as they traveled through the wilderness until they took possession of the land that God had promised them. Every year thereafter, God commanded them to observe a festival called "The Feast of Tabernacles" during which they built tents in their backyards to live in for a week. This festival reminded them how God brought them through the wilderness to their permanent home in the Promised Land.This verse from 2 Corinthians reminds us that we are on a “camping trip”. The tents we have are not made out of canvass, but they are the tents of our bodies. Sooner or later age and use are going to destroy these tents. We are going to die. But through Jesus Christ we know we are leaving our tents to go and live in the permanent home that God has promised and prepared for us. We are going to heaven by faith in our Savior.Perhaps your tent is starting to show some signs of wear. It might be breaking down. Don't let that bother you, remember that your heavenly home awaits you when your camping trip in this life is over.Prayer:Every ache and pain, declining abilities, and failing functions of my body are reminders that my life here is only temporary. Dear God, prevent me from being overwhelmed with this reality. Instead keep my eyes sharply focused on Jesus through whom I have the complete confidence that I will live gloriously in heaven. Amen.

Podcast Version. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. View this online at: WAJ: WELS Evangelism Devotion Service: Daily Devotions : A Camping Trip

Genesis 9:11 NIV

11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."

This was God's promise to Noah when He rescued Noah and his family from the ark after the great flood had washed away all other inhabitants of the Earth. While we are not existing now in Biblical times, we have experienced a disaster of Biblical proportions.

A flood has come upon our state, and most severely, our town. Several of my friends and some of my family have lost everything they own; possessions and homes. It is difficult to express the sadness one feels at such a loss, and it is difficult to believe that this tragedy has actually happened. Personally, our family has not experienced a loss of such magnitude. Aside from saturated carpet in the basement that had to be removed, and constant seepage from damaged foundation, we are safe and sound. Today was the first day that I was able to see our downtown area and see the devastation for myself. The flood waters have receded some from their 32ft level (flood stage is 20 ft.) and along the bridges that link one side of town to the other, there is debris everywhere. Garbage, waste, and all manner of filth fouling the water of our Cedar river. The cleanup will begin in a few days. In the meantime, we can only shower every other day, and no laundry or dishes can be washed except for those days designated for such activities. It is truly horrible.

So, I hear many asking the same question over and over; "Why us?" "Is God angry with us for some reason?" Well, all I can say to the first question is, "I don't know." and to the second, "Although He has reason to be, I don't think so. I believe that God sends disaster to remind us that He is in control. That although we think we are a superior intelligence, He is the one who calls all the shots. He reminds us that we can come to Him for anything, and these events remind us to pray." Perhaps that makes God seem like an evil one. No, I don't think so. I believe that God uses all things for our good. Even the things that we believe will be our end; sickness, bad luck, and weather disasters like this. He is always there for us, if we just go to Him.

It would do us all good to remember that.

Thank you Lord for protecting my family through this time of difficulty. Please be with those who have lost their homes and help them to find comfort in the knowledge that You are their Savior - raised from the dead so that they may live forever in Your Kingdom where there is no devastation, no cold, and no loneliness.

--Amen