the flood

Reading I Will Praise Him played an unexpected part in resolving one of my most difficult weeks during my studies here at DTS. Experiencing my first flash flood in Dallas, Texas at the same time probably engraved this revelation in my memory for the rest of my life.

As an African, I grew up with a lot of vivid impressions connected to particular emotions. In my culture we laugh, cry and argue loudly. When we feel happy or angry, we dance. When we mourn or remember, we sing.

Ironically, in coming to America to study Yahweh’s Word and search for more of His personhood, I systematically had to close my ears to the deafening silence of my Christian colleagues whom endure a crisis, loss, or even happiness without an outward sign. Apparently it was none of my business.

I became more isolated by the meaninglessness of polite conversation that avoids any vulnerability or access to my searching eyes when I know the person speaking to me carries frustrating pain inside but will not allow me to care for him or her.

Equally disappointing and theologically far more disrespectful is our lack of sharing God’s faithfulness or timely intervention during circumstances where we would have had no chance otherwise, sucked me into this isolating cycle of living a hermit’s life.

Three days before the flood, I wrote my own psalm of lament. Crying as I typed the hurting truth to myself. I saw my dear friend who began this scary journey to the USA as a single international student alongside me twenty months ago, prepare for her wedding seven weeks from now. Her consistent friendship confronted me about lying to myself if I thought that I was truly content with my single-hood.

The next day I fled from this zip code and took refuge in the warm home of a Jewish family in Plano. For two days I loved on their pets, pot-plants and home-cooked meals. Dr. Allen’s being the only book I read while the other seats in the family room were covered under Hebrew charts, vocabulary cards, and nervous Labradors frightened by the growling thunder.

On the evening before the flood, I sat outside under the verandah with a huge ginger cat named Caleb on my lap just staring at the rain falling on the plants and grass. We spent close to an hour listening to God’s drumming omnipresence and smelling His faithful love as the heavens did not relent in their chorus. When I closed my eyes, I could imagine David sitting at the mouth of a cave thousands of years ago, watching the ancient desert drink in the heavy rains, sighing in relief. Knowing that Saul’s men would not pursue him this night as they were somewhere waiting out this storm too. Praying that by the time it ends that they might have come to their senses and realize that he is not trying to kill Israel’s king.

Getting permission from this humble little book to shout out when I am reminded that everything is going to work out well because my God stays the same, was an equally special gift I received under the dripping roof edge on Saturday night. On Sunday morning I worshipped in an unfamiliar congregation with my surrogate family. Rocking and smiling to the rhythmic tunes when the same David’s words were repeated endorsed the importance of sharing the details of how I see God’s character revealed in simple ways every day.

I saw God provide for my needs once again when I was prevented from returning to my apartment overlooking the campus, unless I posed for a photo with the whole family. This gave me another reason to praise God and tell you in this piece that God is good and that He loves us and that He hears our prayers; I might not have my own mom and dad near to me and both my siblings are already dancing before Christ’s throne in heaven but after this weekend I know that I belong to four loving people who live passionately in their home with a verandah overlooking a garden on which God poured out His love for me.

And today I can declare with joy to everybody who reads these words that as for me and my house, we will praise the Lord who made heaven and earth while we are still alive on this beautiful planet!