Recently enough that it still feels fresh, our area was hit with unprecedented flash flooding that took the lives, livelihood, and homes of many. Communities reeled at their losses, families grappled with lost or missing loved ones who were washed away, and the rain kept coming!
At first the news was from the areas hardest hit that were several hours away from us. State and Federal government, and local churches and aid agencies rushed in. Then came the news that a long-term care home for severely disabled children and adults in our area had flooded. One of the staff had been swept away in a surge. The residents had been rescued by a military operation.
Our local community rallied immediately, providing supplies, funds, and other needed support. All the residents of the home were displaced, which was doubly traumatic as none of the residents could understand what had happened. Their pain became the pain of our community. We needed to get their home back up and running immediately!
I will never forget pulling up to the location to see literally hundreds of volunteers who came to help from our small town. We cleaned, cleared, sorted, and repaired for hours, all united around this crisis.
So many came together that the work that would have taken weeks or months was completed in just a few days. The residents moved back in, and the staff was helping them settle after that trauma. I spoke to the directors of the organization, who told me that they were so impressed with how the community showed up for them.
I’m truly grateful that we were all able to make a difference for these dear ones affected by the flooding, but my bigger takeaway is how beautiful it is when we all come together. Our community was charged with unity, goodwill, and a reminder of how much we have in common, regardless of the things that are used to highlight our differences, such as politics, religion, and race.
No one wishes disaster on anyone, but there is something to be said for the clarity a disaster can bring. We no longer care about the trivial things that take precedence when everything is peachy. I pray that this event will always be a reminder to me and our community of our ability to come together and rise above the issues that seem to divide us in less challenging times.