NONDISCRIMINATORY

The yells of "Discrimination" are no where evident in the twelve parish flood zone in Louisiana.  The flood waters affected all of society--the young and old--the rich and poor---the black and white and all shades in between.  When two feet plus of water fell in a 36 hour period, the bayous, streams, rivers, creeks, and ditches all over flowed their banks and spread water over the flat land of South Louisiana.  South Louisiana became one big lake.

My own personal glimpse of this included a factory employee who had to go back to work--working twelve hour days--and no time to clean up the ruin of his home.  Sleeping in a house with mold on a bed held up by cinder blocks, we discovered the mattress still had water in it on which he was sleeping after five feet of water filled his home.

The white line indicates the water line.  (Photo Credit to the reflection)

Then there was 79 year old Mrs. Betty who lives on a pension and provides a home for her granddaughter and great granddaughter and has no insurance nor FEMA benefits.

And the 95 year old gentlemen who was away taking care of his 92 year old sister.  He refused to have his deceased wife's clothing moved from the closet.  We knew it was hopeless and the mildew would ruin them, but how could we refuse him.

(Me and The Crew)

And the retired couple who had their home flooded not once but twice.  The first time she was able to sweep the waters out of the house since it was below the line of the sheet rock--she felt safe.  The next day they had two more feet come rushing through and had to be taken out by humvee.

And last there was the house in the neighborhood of low income government financed housing.

The flood waters devastated everyone in its path.  If your home was built in a low area, you were flooded.  In almost every case, the flood victims were determined to recover---though reeling from their losses--they were looking toward the future.  A wonderful example of the human spirit God placed in us and the ability most have to endure even the worst nightmare.  "Not everything can be understood or resolved, but it all has to be faced." Jan Karon

As I pulled sheet rock down, jerked out nails, and hauled away debris, I was reminded of The Word.  Good and bad, wealth and want, sickness and health, success and ruin, birth and death rains down on man with no discrimination.  Wealth and success do not guarantee good health.  Bad things do happen to good people.  Fortunes are made and lost even more quickly.  The one thing constant--the only thing eternal--God and His Word.  My faith is in Him--and Him alone-Come Rain or Come Shine.

 He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:45