Your way was through the sea,
Your path through the great waters;
yet Your footprints were unseen. Psalm 77: 19
Images of flood waters from Hurricane Helene Western North Carolina September 2024
September 2024 will remain as a dreaded memory in Western North Carolina due to the destructive flooding from the notorious Hurricane Helene. As the storm brought record-breaking rainfall, flash floods, and strong wind gusts to the entire Appalachian region, [iii] everything from familiar roads to paths to the barn were erased. Human life, too, was lost. Statistics listed more than 100 death related to the storm in western North Carolina.
I can only imagine the horrors and devastation based on the pictures, the news reports, and the stories told by those who went through the floods. I wanted to go there. I both wanted to see those familiar places where once I walked to see if they had survived unharmed. Had the cemetery where my first husband is buried been damaged? Did my farm survive? Were my old neighbors okay? Had the church been washed away? Would I ever be able to walk a once-familiar way again?
One friend emailed me, after she finally had power again and a means of communication. She told me she couldn’t go anywhere because of the destruction to her access to the road. Even if she could get out of her home, she couldn’t go anywhere because the road in both directions had been destroyed.
Some of you who read this were there. Your losses were deep, and two years later, you still struggle to wrap your head around what happened. You may still have emotional or even physical signs from the depth of your grief. Counseling helps, but it doesn’t take away what happened. You may have experienced loss of property; loss of loved ones; loss of security; loss of income; illnesses; disruption of plans; crumbled dreams—did you wonder if God cared? Whether you have experienced the hurricane or some other flood water in your life, loss is common to us all.
Was God there?
At the same time as hurricane Helene, I was currently experiencing my own deep waters. Six years earlier I had remarried, and now, a week before hurricane Helene struck, my second husband went home to Jesus. I felt as the psalmist had written:
I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. Psalm 69: 2
Was God there?
Of course, God was there. I believed God walked right beside those who had suffered loss in the great hurricane. I believed, too, the Spirit of God walked beside me and would sustain me in my new journey of grief. In these past two years, I have learned this lesson: When we go through deep waters, God is there even if we do not see His footprints. I know, as well, God’s footprints are beside you when you tread the deep waters in your life.
As humanity experiences life this side of heaven, sorrows, anguish, and many dreadful circumstances are experienced by all of us. Sometimes trials come as brief showers. Other times they show up as a hurricane. To some of you, these flood waters are a daily companion. Where is hope? Where is the Hope we are assured that may be found in Jesus?
As a Christ follower we have the assurance of God’s presence, even when we don’t see the outward results of His care. When we have His Spirit within us we can know those invisible footprints are there in the flood. Through the promises of God’s Word in the Bible we find the, sometimes, sketchy footprint of His grace and mercy in our trials.
We find His footprints in the history of His actions in the Bible; (Here are a few examples):
- Joseph has been sold by his brothers to Egypt where things go from bad to worse. Only after thirteen years of slavery and imprisonment for no guilt of his own, he is elevated to the position where he saves his entire family (including the brothers who sold him) from extinction where they can become the nation of Israel. Genesis 37-47
- The boy, David, proves that God is in control when he slays the giant Goliath, who is seen by the Philistines as their champion—a representative of their god—and preserves the nation Israel: 1 Samuel 17
- When Jesus was born, Herod could see his rulership was threatened by another king. He ordered the slaughter of all boys born within the previous two years in Bethlehem. An angel guided Joseph to escape to Egypt, where Jesus was safe until after Herod had died. Our Redeemer lived to complete the work God had given him as a sacrifice for our sins at Calvary. Luke 1-2
- Many other miracles and signs give proof to the Hope we find in Jesus. We find His footprints in the History of the Church throughout the centuries:
- The preservation of the Holy Scriptures
- The teaching of the Church leaders through the centuries: Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Bunyan, Edwards, Whitfield, Wesley, Graham, King, and leaders of our day
- In the psalms and hymns we’ve learned and sung over the years,
- In Bible verses we’ve memorized
- In the lives of others who have shown us His footprints in how they have shown God’s love in their daily deeds.
God is there!
Everyone goes through deep waters. The Christian, however, shares the flood alongside the Creator of floods and trials.
Stock photo
Challenge:
Think about your most recent flood water experience: How can you see the footprint of God in the flood? If you cannot see the footprint, ask yourself if you truly know and have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ for your eternal destiny.
Prayer:
Our Father, Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign LORD, when we pass through the deep waters, help us to discern Your presence, because of Jesus Christ. In His name, Amen.
Promise:
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10: 13
I would be interested to hear your story of how you found God’s footprints in your flood. (Let me know how I might pray for you.)
E-mail me: jetituswriter@gmail.com
[i] https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/sync/v2/D4E27AQFwRvHJ0nA8tg/articleshare-shrink_800/articleshare-shrink_800/0/1728043622047?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=iOndV_n-AtYlB0cgRGiVHd67-B4wRKsNvKx2CVJNRTk
[ii] https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Ni7562c2hNtv8RSql5mAww–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/asheville-citizen-times/a1c2d834b19dd75abc6f4a0d1cea6176
[iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Helene_in_North_Carolina
