Where's Noah?

Yesterday was a crazy rainy day here in west Wichita. I wrote on my Facebook status that I was thankful that we do not have a basement, and today I learned that my thankfulness was warranted. Our neighborhood sits near the Little Arkansas River and the Big Ditch. At the end of our street, there is a water run-off pond. With the 9+ inches of rain that fell yesterday, the pond quickly filled up, went over the sidewalk, and filled the ditch on the other side. There is also a drainage ditch a couple of blocks to the west of us, and it was completely filled and overflowing into the side streets as well, so there was nowhere for the water to go. Our street runs north-south but it curves to the east because of the pond. The houses that sit on the north side of the pond were high enough up that the water from the pond did not completely fill their backyards, but apparantly a sewer pump failed and caused the water to back up into everyone's basement (at least on our street).

This afternoon our street was lined with various cleaning crews. I don't think that I have ever seen so many of our neighbors outside of their houses at the same time. We live on a fairly reclusive street, and we really do not know many of our neighbors very well. In times like this, I wish that I had more boldness. I let fear take over, and I decide to do nothing. Today would have been a great day to go down the street and ask our neighbors if there was anything we could do to help, but I did not offer any help. I tell myself that they would not want to be bothered. I keep praying that God will show me how to trust Him more, but I know that I need to put my faith in action so that He can show me His faithfullness.

I will end on an ironic note. This semester I have been car pooling with a couple of guys from work. We meet at the Ark church on north Maize road and one of us drives from there. Yesterday, thankfully, I was the driver. When we returned to Maize, the church parking lot was flooded and I was unable to take my passenger to his car. It was not until later that I thought about the irony of a flood surrounding Noah's Ark (if you have not seen the church, it is a replica of an ark). I just wish that I would have taken a picture.