Lessons from a Flood

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24–27)

Sunday morning a few weeks ago we discovered our finished basement had water all over the carpet. As I came down and looked at it, I immediately started to feel anxious and helpless. I had no idea what to do. I knew water can quickly lead to more serious problems, but I didn’t even know where to start with cleaning up. Would the repairs for this cost thousands of dollars? Days of work? Would insurance help? Later I realized I should have started with a much more important question: what truths should guide my thinking about this situation?

When floods come into our lives, whether literally or figuratively, what truths do we need to build our lives on and remind our families of so we can remain stable?

1. God is in control.

I think this truth came to my mind first when I started to really process what had happened. One meteorologist said that no one would have predicted 8–15 inches of rain in less than 8 hours unless a tropical storm or hurricane was going through the area, but that never happens in Wisconsin. No one expected a storm like that to hit our area so suddenly and violently. It was described as a 1000 year flood.

Scripture is clear - nothing that happens is outside of God’s control. Every event in our lives is crafted for our maximum good - to make us like Jesus. If God can orchestrate the events of history to bring about our redemption, dealing with our greatest need, then why do we doubt whether he is in control in the smaller events of our lives?

My kids needed to hear this and see it lived out in my response. At one point during the day as we were cleaning up and getting frustrated with our plans for the day being completely upended, I asked our boys as I wrestled with it myself - did God allow this? If so, do we need to trust that he knew what we needed today more than we did?

2. Our material possessions are all temporary.

It’s easy to start to believe in our ability to protect our things. We get insurance. We plan out our savings to cover unexpected expenses and get sump pumps with backup batteries. We purchase generators. And yet, at the end of the day, we live in a broken world. Everything is deteriorating. We forget so easily.

God reminded us of the truth that everything in this life is so fragile and temporary. As you walk through the neighborhoods for miles around our area, there are piles outside of the homes by the driveways. Water-soaked couches, carpet, toys, photo albums, furniture and many more items lay ruined,sending a musty smell down the street. No one expected it. Overnight, all of these things became ruined and worthless.

Nothing I can do will preserve my stuff forever. So maybe I should focus on eternal things a little bit more. In Luke 12:13–34, we find Jesus telling a story of a man who was resting in his prosperity to bring him peace. Jesus warns of the danger of making prosperity our goal instead of making sure we are right with God.

He calls his disciples instead to lay up treasure in heaven. We hold on to our earthly possessions so tightly. We put so much trust in them. They can be swept away in a moment, so invest your time and resources in what can’t be destroyed. Live for God’s kingdom that lasts forever, not your own temporary kingdom.

3. We must trust God to do what we cannot.

As a man, my first instinct was to “fix it”. Since I didn’t know how to deal with this much water, I resorted to Google. Use a shop vac! Of course. I should have thought of that. I started sucking it up - gallon after gallon. I texted a friend - he told me professional input was necessary and that if we didn’t deal with it within 24 hours we would have serious issues. I started to panic. I made phone calls, but everyone in our area was doing the same thing. My wife and I left messages with 15 companies and waited for them to call back. There was nothing else we could do.

My wife thought of my cousin who worked in water damage restoration - he told me if I could rent a carpet cleaner that day I should be able get enough water out of the carpet to dry it out and save it. I started to look for one, but they were all rented in our area. I stopped to pray — “God, I cannot find one. Our basement will have to be completely redone if I can’t find this tool.” God was working in my heart, and for the first time that day I realized I would be okay, even if everything in the basement was ruined and had to be redone.

Then I remembered that someone at one of the stores mentioned an area unaffected by the flood about 30 minutes away. With a phone call I confirmed they had what I needed and I headed there right away. Philippians 4:6 calls us to cast our anxiety on God. I ought to fix the things that I can, but when I don’t know what to do or I can’t fix it, I must run to God. I have to rest in Him.

4. If our hope is in this life, we will be disappointed.

I like to have things organized. I like to maintain the material things that I own well. Then, when things get damaged, I get frustrated. God sends things into my life to help me see the folly of this approach.

At the root of this thinking is a problem with where my hope lies. If my greatest hope is in preserving what I own, I have set my heart on a goal that will always disappoint. On the other hand, if I set my eyes on the inheritance I have from God, then I will never be disappointed! God’s promises are always fulfilled.

1 Peter 1:4 describes this as “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefined, and unfolding.” It is kept by God’s power. How much better to set my hope every day on this inheritance instead of things that will fade away?

Conclusion

As I think back on our experience with the unexpected flood that led to a lot of work and anxiety for my family, I have to acknowledge that the damage we faced in our home barely scratched the surface of what people in our area are facing. Some woke up with their entire homes flooded and everything gone.

However, the truths above apply regardless of the amount of loss. So whether you are facing an unplanned inconvenience or a life altering flood, lead your family in keeping your focus on eternal things instead of the temporary things that so quickly grab your attention. God uses difficult circumstances to bring our focus back where it needs to be.