Article November 26, 1990 Issue

Floods, prayer, and God's love

Although I wasn't directly affected by the rising river, the flood warnings made me think—and then pray—about the people and cities that were threatened.

Lillian Jermane

It had rained on and off for six days. Rivers were overflowing their banks from the heavy rainfall and the melting of the snow in the mountains. Streets in small towns nestled near rivers were filled with as much as five to twenty feet of water. Already bridges had been destroyed and lives lost.

The news this particular day named five cities that would be inundated as the water was expected to rise two more feet within twenty-four hours. An emergency evacuation alert was sent out to all these cities. This was meant to warn citizens that evacuation might be necessary and that they should prepare accordingly.

Even though I did not live in the flood-threatened area, I thought of all the people in those cities who would be waiting to learn if they would need to evacuate. As I continued to think along these lines, I suddenly asked myself, "What are you doing? Instead of trusting God you are expecting the flood to come to those cities, aren't you?" I was ashamed of myself! Through the study of Christian Science, I had learned of God's all-powerful goodness. As a mother, I had always placed my children in God's care by praying for them each day. (I had taught them to pray for themselves, too.) Now I realized that I needed to pray about the towns threatened with flooding and see that everyone is in God's care.

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