My phone has rang ever since the news broke that there was a weak spot in the Yoestown levee a couple miles from our home. The National Guard has been dropping 500 lb sand bags on it from a helicopter. Emergency management blocked off the road below our house and stationed a cop there with his lights on. The Sheriff’s Department came to our door taking the names and numbers of everyone in the house in case we needed to be evacuated. The news reported that the road we live on could be covered with as much as seven feet of water if the levee broke. The text messages and phone calls became so frequent that my el cheap-o phone locked up during the night.
I really appreciate the due diligence of our government officials like Emergence Management, the Corps of Engineers, and the county Sheriff’s department in looking out for my safety. I applaud the National Guard for their efforts to stop this breach. I must say that I was also blown away by the shear volume of offers to help us. Many people invited us to stay in their homes and one began washing the sheets in their RV for us to stay in. Boats and trailers were made available to move our contents from the rising waters should they be needed. I didn’t know this many people even knew who we were, much less cared enough to help us. It sure feels good to be so loved.
But none of this is will be necessary. I live on some of the highest ground in the area. The only part of our road that could be seven foot under is a mile away and it’s all down hill from us. I dug through some topo maps just to be sure and I’m a good 50 ft higher than the levee system. I even keyed my address into the FEMA flood map. It became clear that my house is about as likely to flood as the top of Mount Gaylor. In order for the waters to reach us, most of the southern US would have to be under water first. If you believe Al Gore you may think that’s possible. He’s smart, he also invented the Internet.
The moral of the story is this. When the flood waters are rising, its not how close you are, it’s how high you are that matters. This breach is right in my backyard but there are people over 8 miles away in Van Buren that could be flooded by it. Floods don’t follow street signs, they follow elevation. Likewise many people think that going to church is all they need to do to be ready to face God. Sitting through a church service will not help you unless that church teaches the truth. False doctrine is of no eternal value. Secondly, its what you do with the truth that sets your feet on solid ground. Mearly attending a Biblically sound church will not help you if you reject its teachings. The Christian’s concern has nothing to do with distance, our concern is elevation.
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