I’m sneaking in my Monday post a bit early this week. Lots to do tonight, and with the flood warnings becoming ever more urgent as rain drenches our snow-covered city, the citywide stress is palpable. In 1997, the last time things got this dire, we’d just moved back from the West Coast. With over a hundred inches of snow that winter, we were all desperate for a break by winter’s end, but a break was the last thing we got. Which is one of the reasons that flood was so horrendous, not just to those who lost their homes (but certainly, especially them) but everyone who lived here at the time. Affected by the communal anxiety, I ended up leaving town for a few days with my 1-year-old, and still remember seeing the newspaper at my Grandma’s in Bismarck the next morning — a photo on the front cover of the Bismarck Tribune showing our northern river neighbor, Grand Forks, flooded and aflame. It was unbelievable. Seems we’ve just recovered from the aftermath of that disaster, and now we’re bracing for another round — perhaps the worst in history, if predictions come to pass. So now…we do our best to prepare and wait to see what Mother Nature has in store for us.
With all that going on, it might seem strange that I would have anything else on my mind this evening, but I’ve got plenty — all the usual stuff about living, getting ready for an author visit in the coming week, a few work projects, and more. Needing a little down time, though, and after gobs of laundry this afternoon, I treated myself to catching up on a few blogs I follow, and was stopped at this one. It’s so well expressed…I couldn’t have said it better myself if I’d tried. So, I hope if you have the time and need a reprieve from flood watching (if you’re in our area), you’ll consider taking a few moments to see what Jennifer has to say on what to say when she’s not sure what to say (did you catch that?). It’s a beautiful post detailing her ongoing struggle with finding her place in the Christian world as a former atheist. Go here to read her thoughts…
As for all you in the Fargo-Moorhead area and all affected spots in North Dakota and Minnesota, I’m sending out prayers tonight for you/us all…
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