After Flood Photos...

I didn't get out to photograph any of the flood while it happened. I wanted to, but watching the news, well, it just seemed smart to stay put with Emma, cuddling under a blanket, on the couch. I felt that i was missing something huge, something that i wanted to record, but seeing the dangers on the news and what was happening, recording this flood by photos would have to be done by someone else.

I did decide that afterwards, after things settled down a bit, i would go out and take some photos. I didn't want to upset anyone by taking photos of the destruction in their lives, so i stayed away from areas where i knew that homeowners were helping clean up their home. Also, i thought that there would be no emotion from me looking at areas that had been hit.

I thought wrong.

Seeing the destruction that the flood did was nothing like i imagined. It was a million times worse. Many families lost everything. Everything. To see their belongings stacked and piled near the road in front of their homes, waiting for the trash hauling folks to haul it away was heartbreaking. To see some items like books or a wedding dress, put somewhere to dry out, brought me to close to tears. And what really took my breath away was seeing the markings of just how high the water got...you can see on the first photo, on the roof, where the marking of how high the water got left it's mark. I am grateful that many more folks did not loose their lives due to this water...

But in the mist of all of this, i saw folks working together. Folks who at first didn't know each other but were brought together by the urge to help their fellow man. Churches handing out water or snacks, workers helping families they didn't know. A mother and her young daughter handing out sandwiches to workers. An older woman sweeping a porch area, cleaning it to put things that she had found on it to be reclaimed. I spoke to one gentleman and asked him how long he had been helping this family and he replied "As soon as i could get here and i'm not leaving till it's done!". How blessed people are to have folks in their lives like this man.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
~John 15:9-12

It is amazing and stunning to see this scripture in action....