Who has family in Houston?
I’m really sorry this has had to happen. It will be a lie if I say this news strikes no nerve since I have no affiliation to anyone in the US. But every second of today has left me in shivers and while panicking, I’m muttering steady prayers for the victims, the city and the State. You spend time to build a home or a city, and in a wink you see bits of it destroy and years of memories wash away, and the worst part is you having no hand in it. Infact, since the last of such hurricane in the State was as far back as 2008, you could have lived your life with all measures of precaution and this would still have happened- to you.
To think yesterday at church ended memorably and then I learn today that something like this is ongoing somewhere in the world is quite sad. Nothing kills my spirit just like the occurrence of natural disasters does. For me, there’s really no explanation you can offer as to the reason these phenomena have to occur, if you disregard science and make religion your logic hub, which after all, is our predominant base for life.
At the end of the service yesterday I was strangely in some mood. This is not me saying my spirit was triggered because of the feeling of unrest somewhere in another space at that time, but that I didn’t feel myself totally. As it happened, my unpredictable pastor dished no sermon. The discourse took the form of song-praises and advanced into prophecies. They were complimented with prayer points we had to intermittently be guided on and pray about.
It’s strange because my pastor is one of the few audacious ministers that unreservedly air views about politics and stir up members graphically about the state of the nation right there on the pulpit, and you can tell he luxuriates in it. When the prayers and all were to the content of the pastor, he ended the session with blessings and dismissed the church. But since it was an odd time for church to end, like 50mins before a regular service does, the choir took it upon themselves to lead the church into another session of praise jams right after the dismissal grace had been chorused.
So whoever opted to leave for their homes could do so unashamedly as the church had officially ended.
A lot of people stayed back though, as a radical church briskly emerged. You know, the kind were everyone would scream and jump to the songs, at the same time lifting their seats to the ceiling. (it’s quite tricky to listen to Lara George’s Dansaki and observe the mannequin challenge).
I was somewhere at the gallery gazing flatly, cross legged and fiddling with my phone. If I could leave, I would, but meetings that would be slated 10mins after end of service is now the norms for my department. So I remained pegged on the seat while everyone around me were joyful and causing lots of hullabaloo. To be honest there was really nothing to do with my phone so I checked updates on my BBC news app after skimming through Inshorts app (which is awesome for world news but carries more of Indian news, perhaps, it’s the creator’s root).
BBC was telling of a Hurricane Harvey and it evoked the littlest emotion. It was just one of the tragic events happening in the world, I thought. Infact I remember smirking at the headline because of the choice of name for the Hurricane, and I instantly shifted my interest to googling why a hurricane was given such name. And that’s where I left it to take videos of the hyper congregation.
On the radio this morning I hear of ghastly incidents and videos of the hurricane in Houston, the largest city in Texas, and that’s where it hit me. Hurricane Harvey that I thought was funny is actually a recent disaster. And since then I’ve been reading up, following events and sobbing mentally. Again it really makes no sense to me why these disasters have to happen. Meteorologically, I understand, but.
Right now it’s 12:49pm and the news has it that there are about 5 death reports, and 2,000 people have been rescued with boats. These are 2,000 people stranded without homes now and somehow have to find ways to recover psychologically. 2,000 not merely 200 people. There are countries in Australia (continent) that have a population of below 2,000 inhabitants. You can say insurance will cover their ruins and losses, and they could see this as an experience, an adventure that would pass (like my friend “positively” inferred). But I don’t think the victims would think about their loss that way, as embarking on adventure.
If you have a family or relative in Houston, I’m praying with you that God finds shelter and recovers their losses in good time. :'(
Edit: The hurricane lasted till 5days later. It ended today, on September 3rd. They said the “flood has caused one of worst weather disasters in US history with a price tag of billions of dollars.” A city in Texas actually got up to 51.88 inches storm. You watch the news and hear things like 30,000people got displaced, 13,000 rescued, 48,700 homes affected…
Edit 2: This doesn’t make sense. Another storm just struck in US immediately after, hurricane Irma. It makes no sense to me. It’s all confusing where it hit, but it’s majorly Florida. Then it should hit Georgia, North/South Carolina…the Bahamas…Cuba, they’ve predicted. And this is just Sunday, September 10, barely a week after the last storm happened. This is really sad.
Edit 3: I can’t believe this. Hurricane Maria? Apparently Irma had begun since August 30. It only ended some days ago, 14th. And now, an SOS report just came up about hurricane Maria headed for Puerto Rico. I’m not updating this anymore after now. I’m done. Jesus take the wheel.
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Oh dear Oluchi, I’ve gone through 2 of your posts and I feel I’m getting to know you each passing moment I scroll through your pages. What I’ve come to realize within the short while is that you possess one kind heart in that chest of yours. My family is out there in Texas but they aren’t in the Houston Area, they’re situated in Grand Prairie and even though they aren’t affected by the hurricanes they’ve been dashed another huge problem. My cousin who happens to be their son is battling with Pancreatic cancer since like July and it’s been tough for us all. We’ve been fighting the battle together and praying and hoping for the best. I wish those affected by the hurricanes well and hope they get to pick up the pieces of their lives and move on courageously. I had a good read BTW.
Oh thank you. And I’m sorry about your cousin and I pray the good Lord will send His healing hands across, don’t stop believing. I’m glad your family was safe from all the house joggle the hurricane caused. I’ll still pray for others who were