Friday, September 2, 2016

Keeping Our Heads Above Water - Final Chapter




From my Prayer Journal, December 28, 2015, 4:45 am

"Oh Father.....You have chosen to let us climb a mountain the past 24 hours.  I have no doubt You have a very good reason for this climb....whether it strengthens our legs....or strengthens others who are watching.  I don't know.....but we have just gone through almost 24 hours of solid rain....hard rain...mad rain....EVIL rain.  Like the ruler of this earth is furious and shoving this in our face and saying, "See?  See?...Where is your God now?"  

I wrote this in my prayer journal on this very computer I'm writing to you today in the early morning hours of Monday, December 28, 2015.  The four of us (the dog, the cat, Charlie and I) were heaped up on the bed....and it was still raining.....hard.

....But I don't turn my back...I don't take my eyes off You...and I wonder if Peter was scared walking on that water 2000 years ago even though he had his eyes focused on You?  I wonder cause I'm so scared right now.  It's been one of the longest, most horrific nights of my life....and You and I have talked all night long.....not a wink of sleep as I watched the water pour in every crevice of this beautiful house I am simply a tenant of.  This is Your house...not mine.  I have heard things banging into the outside of this house.....things falling on the inside of this house as the water....the thick, muddy water, and I'm actually terrified to see what outside looks like when dawn comes.....


Its not been until recently I have been able to read back over what I wrote that night.  I knew it would be hard and I knew I haven't been the most stable emotionally lately....mountains of tears that have built up over these past 8 months have been falling as fast and hard as the rains were that night.  I think my tear bucket is full and there's been no place for them to go but out my eyes and down my face.....I think they are relief tears.

.....You, the Landlord, have allowed this to happen to a piece of property You own.....and I know....I KNOW...you can turn this tragedy into good.  And I'm going to keep my eyes open....wide open....looking and waiting for that miracle.  Cause I know when its darkest.....Your Light shines brightest.  So as I sit here in the bed....an island really...surrounded by almost a foot of water....with my beloved Charlie....my Molly and Kruger huddled together in this tiny bed....we are together...we are safe...we will be okay.  Cause there is a blessing in all of this somewhere.....

YES.....a thousand blessings in this mess.  And sharing this with you is one of them.   But I won't lie.....it's hard to share this with you cause that means I'm reliving it and reliving it means more tears and more tears means there's an ugly mess going on behind these words.

.....We are surrounded by water on all sides....and I'm surprised we aren't floating away.  Be with us as we wait for dawn....for first light to see if our boathouse is still out there.....I could see that the water is up to the top handrail of the ramp out back and that was hours ago.....Be with us, Father....be with us......
 

I'm watching the sun come up as I share these words with you from our boat dock this morning.  The sun is staring me in the face right this second.....and I glance to my left and see the house that has scriptures written all over its hidden studs....thousands of prayers prayed over it and I see the answer to my prayer I prayed that night 8 months ago.....Cause there is a blessing in all of this somewhere.....and the blessing was...YOU.  You prayed, you cried, you ached right alongside us this year Many of you helped us with your hands, with your pocketbooks, with your knowledge, with your faith.  And we are beyond grateful.  Beyond Grateful.


We aren't finished with this journey just yet.....but close....so close we can see the white space at the end of the last paragraph of this chapter. 

And God used YOU to help Keep Our Heads Above Water......You.  You were the blessing He had planned all along.

16 comments:

Jenni Morse said...

Beautiful Liz. I'm tearing up thinking about all that you have endured. You have kept your eyes on Him and He has seen you! Your heart always amazes me Liz and I love you more than you know!!!!

Dick and Bonnie said...

Dear Liz and Chuck-

Just a beautiful testimony of your true faith that keeps us going when things get ‘really’ bad. Liz, we have thought of you two so often and wondered how you were progressing through this muddy mess. With the help of God and your many, many, friends you have been a blessing to us all. Things are finally looking up as we should ALL look up and give thanks to the Lord for giving you the courage and strength to survive. Thank you for sharing with us every step of the way. I consider you both Heroes.

Bonnie and Dick

Kathy Rachal said...

Beautiful as usual....wonderful that you journaled that night (which is amazing in itself) and can look back on that horrific night and see it as a blessing. May God continue to bless you both for many years to come in your lovely NEW home.

Love,
Kathy

Liz Hurt said...

Amen and amen. Nothing left to say. I'm proud of you. You were/are an example to us all. The LORD is proud of you. And again I say "Amen". Love to my dear friend. TOL

LeeAnn Sears said...

Tears!!! Liz, this is so beautiful. How God must love you...

Sharon Sehon said...

With tears and love and joy, I’m still praying for you and Chuck! As I said 8 months ago: you will never know the hearts and lives you have touched and changed through your words.

Love you,
ss

Skip said...

Liz-my very best thoughts and prayers are with you. Skip

KR said...

Liz,
Your message encourages me so this morning. I’ve had bronchitis this week, and I get discouraged. I’m taking on water too!
But there’s an Ark and He’s so good. …… YOU are the blessing, Liz,
K

Tim Woods said...

Liz,
Your message encourages me so this morning. I’ve had bronchitis this week, and I get discouraged. I’m taking on water too!
But there’s an Ark and He’s so good. …… YOU are the blessing, Liz,
K

Diana Antionello said...

You have such a gift, Liz Calloway Etheridge. Thank you for allowing us to travel this journey with you and witness your faith in the face of it. Praise God you all are back in your beautiful home surrounded by His grace and mercy!

Joy Stone said...

Our trials strengthen our faith and deepen our knowledge of our Savior, because we know that he has never left us. God bless.

Chloanne said...

Dear sweet Liz, Thanks for writing this for me! What a gorgeous picture, a sunrise, I think? God said He would walk you through, and not leave you there (Isaiah 43), and He still is, right? Just hearing from you has cheered me--you could have said anything--but you have reminded me that our Abba is faithful . . and good . . and patient with me. The miracle of the electric water is so amazing, so above and beyond what we would expect . . and, our faithful God surrounded you and protected you and did not let go of you.

Sandee said...

Liz, Your words always touch my heart. What a testament to faith during hard times. Darling, you are inspiration to me. You are totally my ‘Soul Sister’. Love, Sandee

Stu said...

So happy for you both that God has blessed you and you have made it through this test on Earth. I know that your faith is the real reason that you have made it through such strife and I am really happy for you, Liz and Chuck. Hard to believe how close December 28th is and that your anniversary of the trial should be a blessed day in your beautiful house on the lake and that your views won’t be spoiled by piles of lumber and bags of cement .
Take care and love to you both,
Stu

Brooke said...

Love this my friend. It's been a joy to journey alongside you and see your faith through this trial and test. Everything here is a test -- Heaven awaits.

Love you dearly.

Barbara Besing said...

Good to hear from you. Distant memories for me also. We lost our home to flood in the 98 flood in New Braunfels. We have had three more to the apt/storage Down stairs. And 5 scares since then. One in Oct of last year and one this year a few weeks ago. The woe's of living on the river. Glad you are close to completion. I have not forgotten our God chance meeting. May God richly bless you. Barbara