Lake Eagleson

In a matter of hours, large portions of my town were underwater.  At least partially, if not wholly.

Our region is in an actual "state of emergency", per the governor.

So it isn't completely surprising that it's past 1 a.m. and I'm sitting here, contemplating the the ironic nature of my day, while water is being pumped out of my cellar.

Asking God questions definitely gets you answers-- I just wasn't expecting mine quite so soon.

It seems like a silly thing to ask for, but I asked for challenges this year.  Challenges that cause me to grow and mature into a woman of God.  The sentiment is this, a comfortable life with few issues warrants few changes, but struggles test us and push us past our limits-- I want to live uncomfortably because that's where the biggest change exists.  But I'm quickly learning that it's really much easier to ask for challenges than it is to deal with challenges when they come. 

Tonight I came home from work to four feet of standing water in my cellar.  Enough water to swim in.  I've decided to call it "Lake Eagleson", for posterity.  I've had an inkling that my sump pump might be broken for a while now, but it never seemed a big enough priority to actually follow through with.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words... and the only thing you're missing with this picture is the other about 800 square feet of cellar behind those doors.

In my panic, I called my parents and texted a good friend nearby.  I asked them to come-- surely one of them would know what to do.  This eventually led to my friend finding a friend with an irrigation pump.  After hours of waiting and worrying, we got started.  It has been about four hours since then.

I was (and still am) truly amazed by the goodness of people who go out of their way to help others-- that they barely know.  That they will come back at 1 a.m. to check and see that the pump is working correctly.  And that are willing to help me get things settled in the morning once the water is all finally gone (and before the clouds open up again).

So I'm left sitting here dumbfounded at my ability to question God.  Do I believe he has a plan for Salem?  Of course.  Do I frequently question how much of an impact we can really have on this city?  All of the time.  Who am I to question this-- when people I barely know are working side by side with me through a crisis?

I guess you could say I asked for it-- not a flood (per se), but a tangible reminder of the power of kindness, hospitality, and grace.

Not exactly how I would have chosen to learn this lesson, but definitely impactful.

Plus, who doesn't enjoy a good flooding story?