'Rain came, wind blew! My house is built on you!'

This week, my property experienced never-before- seen levels of water. The water came close to my house, but we didn’t build on the flood plain… It came close, though.

Many people in my area of North Hopkins expressed concern about how bad the flooding was getting: the county can’t afford to clear all the tributaries and creeks downstream so upstream, people’s lives are in jeopardy; the state doesn’t care, even after so many attempts and pleas for help. So… we are on our own.

After going through a lot of contacts and speaking with many people in many positions with many departments, I was forced into the same conclusions as everyone else before me — better figure it out. I had prayed a little beforehand, when the water was knocking down my pasture fences and when it carried away a 100 gallon rain catchment barrel by the chicken coop. But, and I am embarrassed by my fickle humanity, that is to say, it wasn’t until I was reminded that I was completely on my own that I really started to pray, HARD.

Why is it that we have to be hit in the face with our dependence on Him, The One who knows and sees all things, before we worship and pray to Him?

I stood on my patio bringing into my mind all of my blessings and thanking Him for them, one by one.

I started to sing one of my favorite songs by Cody Carnes called Firm Foundation: “Rain came, wind blew! My house was built on You! I am safe with you… I’m gonna make it through!

Yes! I'm gonna make it through, ‘cause I’m standing firm on You! Christ is my firm Foundation, the rock on which I stand — when everything around me is shaken, I’ve never been more glad!” It goes on and on with such delicious lyrics that I feel safe after singing it. I know He makes a way where there is no way.

The next day, when the flood had cleared, all of the dead things that had died or broke this winter had been lifted up and carried off my property. I know because there were artifacts of this debris caught in the hog wire.

Even the biting ants held on for dear life into clumps and were carried away! All the limbs that broke in the freeze, all the dead leaves and twigs and nonsense— washed. I thought, WOW! What a cleansing Having faith that is a FIRM foundation looks like praising when there’s impending danger. He will never let us down.

We are not promised perfect bliss on earth. When we actually FEEL the faith and BELIEVE in The One who has set us free, the rain can come, the wind can blow… but we are going to make it through! There is a feeling of worldly detachment and peace that comes from this thinking and faith.

After all, He said, “My yoke is pleasant and my burden is light.” (That’s the direct Aramaic from one of my favorite Bible translations — Doesn’t replacing the word “Easy” in that verse we have heard before with a more accurate “pleasant” make it richer?)

Stand on your firm foundation. If your foundation has cracks, get a foundation expert to assess the damage and prescribe a remedy.

I recommend heading to Community Bible Fellowship in Dike, where we all either have now or had in the past major cracks. See you there!

For scripture references, questions or comments, email IQSulphurSprings@protonmail.com