We live in a fallen world, and tragedy will come. The world is full of death and destruction, but there is hope in our Savior, who sustains us and comforts us, even in our struggles. Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 4:
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--
10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
What can you say in a moment like this?
There is no greater pain than for a parent to lose a child. That’s not theory for me—it’s personal. Our son Christopher was unexpectedly called home to Heaven 16 years ago, and the grief still runs deep.
Sometimes the most honest and comforting thing you can say is simply,
“I’m so sorry. There are no words.”
As Christians, we can be quick to try to explain the unexplainable. But I’ve learned that when I don’t know why, I pivot back to Who.
And by “Who,” I mean—Who do we turn to in moments like this?
We must turn to God. He is our ultimate source of strength.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
—Psalm 34:18
He concluded the post by saying:
Let’s continue to pray for the first responders still searching for the missing—and for the families facing unthinkable sorrow.
Lord, be near.
On Sunday, Franklin Graham, on Instagram, included that same Scripture reference in a post, which stated:
Texas Governor @GovernorAbbott declared today a day of prayer for all of those affected by the Texas Hill Country flooding disaster. The death toll is now more than 50 with dozens still missing. Let’s join together in prayer for these families and for the ongoing search efforts. There is so much loss and devastation and so many are hurting.
We have @SamaritansPurse staff and @BGEA Rapid Response Team chaplains on the ground looking at how we can minister to these communities both physically and spiritually in the aftermath.
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted…” (Psalm 34:18).
In the face of torrential rains and flooding, the people along the Guadalupe River in the Hill Country of Texas, according to Fox Weather, "had little indication of the upcoming destruction or much time to act. A cluster of thunderstorms sat parked over the region Thursday night into early Friday morning, dumping 12-15 inches of rain in just hours around San Angelo and triggering a Flash Flood Emergency. Mason reported 15.60 inches while San Angelo registered 12.72 inches."
The article went on to say:
Heavy rains crawled to the south and east, eventually pouring 5-8 inches of rain across the Guadalupe River basin, sending torrents of water downstream.
"Automated rain gauges indicate a large and deadly flood wave is moving down the Guadalupe River," the National Weather Service (NWS) warned in issuing their Flash Flood Emergency Friday morning. "Flash flooding is already occurring. This is a Flash Flood Emergency for the Guadalupe River from Center Point to Sisterdale. This is a particularly dangerous situation. Seek higher ground now!"
River gauges showed incredible rises in water levels along the Guadalupe. The surge measured 20 feet in just an hour at Kerrville and nearly 27 feet in Comfort, Texas, in just 45 minutes, taking the river from normal levels to historic levels not seen in nearly a century before many had time to react.
But, there were many that did react. And, some were dedicated to serving others.
Todd Starnes, on his website, related a heroic story:
A United States Coast Guard petty officer, on his first rescue mission, been credited with saving 165 lives in the Texas Hill Country, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Petty Officer Scott Ruskan “directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas,” Noem wrote on X.
“This was the first rescue mission of his career and he was the only triage coordinator at the scene,” she said of the 26-year-old New Jersey native.
Ruskan, who previously worked as an accountant, before joining the Coast Guard, was in charge of triage at Camp Mystic, the Christian summer camp for young girls that was devastated by the floodwaters.
The outcome from one of the camp owner was quite different; People Magazine reported:
Richard "Dick" Eastland, a father of four and the owner of Camp Mystic — the girls' camp on the Guadalupe River which was hit by catastrophic flooding in Texas on the Fourth of July — is among those who have died, according to Texas Public Radio, The New York Times and other reports.
"[H]is last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers," a friend, Paige W. Sumner, wrote in a tribute to him in the local Kerrville Daily Times.
Those along the Guadalupe River were essentially staring at the face of death - devastating, catastrophic flooding. A force of nature. And, natural disasters give us an opportunity to consider the presence of God. God used a flood to judge a world that had departed from Him, and promised that He would not do the same thing again. But, we do live in a fallen, sinful world - we do not inhabit paradise.
And, disasters will occur. Sometimes God will intervene, sometimes He will not, at least in the way we think He should - but we can never lose faith and hope that He is still working, even in the midst of catastrophe. Someone on social media called attention to the massive number of people in Central Texas who escaped this unthinkable weather event. There are stories of heroes, more of which will likely emerge over the next few days, and we can be assured that Christian ministries like Samaritan's Purse and others will go into these areas and remind people of a loving God, who sent His Son to suffer and die, not that we would be spared from suffering, but to know that when suffering comes - and it will - we have someone who will walk with us through it. In our challenges, we can hold on tightly to the faithful hand of God.
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