So the good news is that my eye is healing nicely. My ophthalmologist was pleased with the progress when I last saw him. Now few weeks’ wait and then a plan for the cataract.
Our hope is in our God Who has brought us through the storm. Hurricane Harvey had his way in Southeast Texas. We have been blessed to have power through it all except for about 90 minutes. We are among those who literally weathered this safely.
Some friends have had water flood their homes; they are in shelters, hotels or with other friends/family. The rain has ended and I made it to work this week starting Wednesday. I work at a hospital, and hospitals never close unless they flood. The street at my church flooded; but we were able to open and be a shelter and collection/distribution center for other facilities.
My prayer has been for mercy for Southeast Texas. I cried out for mercy and I believe God heard my cry and answered. A small house with 3 adults and 4 children age 13 and under is no place to be without electricity. We did our best to plan. My municipal utility district helped by purchasing natural gas-powered generators after Hurricane Rita; we are okay for water no matter what. I know others have not been as fortunate. Indeed, one older couple I know of had to be rescued by boat and lost all their possessions.
I sit at my computer very grateful that the loss of life has not been what it might have been, either in the greater Houston area or in the Corpus Christi/Rockport area. Texas was prepared. The areas in greatest danger were evacuated. The 6.5 million people in Houston and its suburbs cannot evacuate. It would be like all the people the state of Delaware picking up and driving. Not feasible and certainly not safe as we experienced in the Rita debacle. I heard clearly that week that it was more dangerous to try to evacuate than to stay put, and I heard right. My one friend heard the same; we both hunkered down and road it out. Ike was similar; my little house was safe, I had power except for about 20 hours, and we did well.
I thank God the rain did end sooner than expected. Our clay soil gets saturated easily and the streets, roads and freeways supplement the bayous to carry water eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. A friend wrote that Texas is a perpetual desert punctuated by torrential flooding. She’s not far off the mark.
Thank you God for having mercy on Texas. I believe you have spared us from far worse than we are experiencing now.
For some areas, the flooding continues; two reservoirs are still full beyond capacity; water releases continue to relieve pressure on the dams, but the downstream areas are taking the brunt of those releases. Homes and streets are flooded for an undetermined length of time. Power was cut to the areas with flooded homes. Lives have been lost to electrified flood waters and that needs to end.
God has been faithful to see us through other hard times. We will move forward and take care of one another. They know we are believers because of our love.
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