Sitting down to write a blog post seems almost frivolous in light of the horrific events that have unfolded in Texas and New Mexico over the past week and a bit. We’ve seen whole buildings washed downstream like bits of flotsam. We can’t look at the news or scroll through social media (something I admit to doing way too much of) without seeing the faces of adults and children who were swept away by a raging torrent. We read agonizing reports from those who sift through the debris searching first for survivors and now for bodies to bring some sense of closure to grieving families.
How can I, who loved going to summer camp year after year when I was growing up, wrap my head around Camp Mystic? As an adult, I’ve slept in dusty old camp cabins with groups of little girls under my care. Some of those same cabins were later swept away by a flood, but thankfully no one was in them at the time. As a parent, I’ve packed up my own children and sent them off to camp trusting that they’d come home with happy stories of their time away.
I can easily imagine the whispers and giggles of little girls settling into their bunks for the night, but then came the nightmare; the rushing waters that weren’t just a bad dream. How can we even begin to process that?
Where was God in this? Couldn’t He have stopped the flood? Couldn’t He have saved every one of those lives? Why did He let this happen? Those are hard questions. Questions that might shake a person’s faith. Questions that don’t have easy answers.
I’m not here to give pat answers, to try to explain the unexplainable. I will simply tell you what I know and that is that God is still present and He is still good. This tragedy is not a sign of His anger or His judgement. He was there in the chaos and He is there for those who were left behind to grieve. Yes, He could have stopped it from happening, but for reasons that are far beyond my understanding, He chose not to.
This is not a time for speculation as to causes or for blame. It is a time for grieving, for lament, for prayer, and for reflection. It is also a time when we are reminded of the brevity and the fragility of life. Perhaps it should be a time for reevaluation. A time to ask, what am I doing with the time I’ve been given? Will my life make a difference? Am I ready for eternity?
Following Augustine 
Thank you for this thoughtful reflection.
You’re welcome, Kim.
So many times when things go wrong the first thing we all do is say “Why is God doing this to us or why is God letting this happen.” I too said these words when I was diagnosed with cancer. It was my mom that said to me, “It isn’t God that has done this to you but he will help you through it.” I had to think about these words for a little while before they really hit home. After that I started looking at all the bad that is happening in this world in a very different light. A very very good read today Elaine.
Thank you, Verna. Your mother was a wise woman.
Thank you Elaine, I think my mom had a lot of wisdom as well and I learned a lot of things from her as most of us do from our mothers. We all try to pass this wisdom down hoping it continues to be heard and learned.
Very well said. Thank you for sharing your words and the scripture verse.
You’re welcome, Lisa. There really are no words to adequately deal with a tragedy like this, but I try.
I’m late to this post, but I find it quite moving. I appreciate what you wrote about this being a time for reflection … and indeed reevaluation. Lots to think about … and I will definitely ponder this during my daily reflection and meditation and prayers. Thank you.
Thank you for your comment, Beth. I always appreciate what you have to say.
Oh, thank you, friend! You have put into words what many of us are thinking. It is all so deep and at times inexpressible. We cling to the Lord and trust Him when our own reasoning fails. You have said it well. He is still God and He is still a God we can trust.
Amen! We must continue to trust Him and not lose faith even when the world seems to be in chaos.