Sadly, by the time this post goes out, the tragic, deadly flood in Kerrville, Texas will have become old news for many. Seasoned consumers of American news have been conditioned to quickly tire of hearing about events like that and obediently shifting their attention to the next tragic episode or manufactured political crisis. By now, the initial shock many of us felt as the story broke will have dissipated as will the astonishment at seeing how quickly a quiet river became a raging, devastating, deadly force. Throughout the land, hearts were moved and eyes filled with tears as we instinctively imagined the desperation and panic that gripped them. We watched repeated videos of the river becoming a bloodthirsty monster swallowing the lives of helpless men, women, and children and turning everything in its path into a mass of twisted, tangled rubble. And for a while, we felt connected and that somehow, we should be involved.
Another Kind of Flood ~
But, sadly, that was last week. By now, consumers of news in America have been reminded once again that the shelf life of most news cycles is rather brief. Tragedies like the Texas flood get lots of attention for a while, but soon a host of manufactured political crises or
some other awful event demands that we shift our mental gears and move on. And to ensure that we don’t spend too much time thinking about last week’s disasters, today’s media managers have technological resources that prior generations never dreamed about. There are A.I. powered digital spies scouring the globe and inundating us with a daily deluge of information that unfortunately, makes the Guadalupe River flood look like a dripping faucet.
That ensures that we’re never at a loss for another shocking event to step up and apprehend our emotional apparatus. Even if we’re spared another natural disaster and there’s no mass shooting or particularly destructive anti-ICE riot, there’s always ‘Donald Trump’. Hardly a day goes by without some bloviating politician declaring that something our 47th President did or said poses an existential threat to Western civilization. There’s always news to be made from the cadre of leftist pundits, activist judges, has-been movie stars, and social media influencers competing to see who gets to take home the “Make Hating Trump Great Again” trophy for the week.
A Principle Not to Overlook ~
But before drifting away from our reflections entirely, there’s a principle illustrated in that 
awful July morning in Kerrville that we shouldn’t overlook. Simply stated, it’s this: The most powerful forces at work in this world are not external. They are internal. And the corollary truth is that the most powerful forces at work in this world are not physical or material. They are spiritual.
That statement may sound untenable or at least overstated as we gaze at videos of the wreckage left in the wake of the Texas flood. Huge trees were plucked up and carried along like twigs. Houses were ripped from their foundations, heavy vehicles and equipment were reduced to scrap metal, and roads and bridges were made unusable. That was an incredible demonstration of powerful external force, to say the least, and the impact is being further revealed every day as volumes of data are continually being compiled and examined. We’re learning more details about the depth of the water, the force of its impact, and the extent of the area affected by it. But there’s one region where the Texas flood’s destructive impact is not quantifiable, and it’s also an area where another kind of power is being generated that can turn suffering into strength and devastation into deliverance.
Damage in a Different Realm ~
The region where the flood’s impact can’t be measured is, of course, the human heart. The impact of the grief and loss in that arena can’t be expressed in economic, environmental, or political terms. The flood’s impact on hearts was experienced in terms of severed relationships, broken families, and the loss of shared lives. And beyond that, there was also incalculable damage inflicted on things like faith, hope, dreams, and expectations.
The impact on hearts grew as the news spread that morning. Anxieties were multiplied moment by moment as the fear of impending loss turned the hearts of parents into torture chambers. The dread of awful outcomes transformed imaginations into inescapable horror
movies. But even as more scenes of devastation emerged, God was laying the groundwork for something else. He was preparing those same wounded hearts for a reaction that He previewed in an event that unfolded in the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.
An Unexpected Response ~
No rivers were flooding in that situation, but a young woman envisioned an impending loss that tore her heart apart, and her reaction reveals a lesson that Jesus wanted all of us to learn and live out. John recorded the story like this:
They made Him [Jesus] a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” (John 12:2–5 NKJV)
But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” (John 12:7–8)
Mary knew that she was about to lose someone who meant more to her than anyone or 
anything else on earth, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Taking Him away seemed more unfair and cruel than anything she could imagine – and she could have responded with anger, even rage at the blatant injustice of it all. She could have blamed God for allowing such a horrible thing to happen or just withdrawn to herself and wallowed in self pity . . . But she didn’t.
Love and Devotion vs. Death and Devastation ~
Instead, she took the most treasured possession she owned and poured all of it out on Him. Her response to the worst thing that could happen to the One she loved the most was to give the best she had to honor Him. The influence of sin and the lethal power of evil would soon be displayed in the physical, material world, but the power of love in a girl’s broken heart has been a life changing force for good for over 2,000 years.
Storms will continue to come. Lives will continue to be unfairly snatched away, and hearts will continue to break, but Mary’s legacy lives on. Instead of reacting to tragedies with angry curses, baseless accusations, or self pity, multitudes are following Mary’s example and giving the best they have to honor those they loved. May God help us to embody that lesson when the next awful loss comes flooding down on us, and may we never forget that Mary only lost Him for a while. In Him, the worst losses we will ever have to endure will only be temporary.
“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the pull quotes below. Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .
-
-
- The most powerful forces at work in this world are not external. They are internal. And the corollary truth is that the most powerful forces at work in this world are not physical and material. They are spiritual. @Gallagherspen (Click here to Tweet)
- There’s one region where the flood’s destructive impact is not quantifiable, and it’s also an area where another kind of power is being generated that can turn suffering into strength and devastation into deliverance. @Gallagherspen (Click here to Tweet)
- The region where the flood’s impact can’t be measured is, of course, the human heart. That impact was experienced in terms of severed relationships, broken families, and incalculable damage inflicted on faith, hope, dreams, and expectations. @Gallagherspen (Click here to Tweet)
- The influence of sin and the lethal power of evil would soon be displayed in the physical, material world, but the power of love in a Mary’s broken heart has been a life-changing force for good for over 2,000 years. @Gallagherspen (Click here to Tweet)
- Instead of reacting to tragedies w/angry curses, baseless accusations or self pity, multitudes follow Mary’s example, giving their best to honor those they loved. Lord, help us embody that lesson when the next awful loss comes flooding down. @Gallagherspen (Click here to Tweet)
-
To follow this blog for more “Right Side Up Thinking ~ In an Upside Down World” …
Sign up just below the Search box in the upper right sidebar for regular email notifications of new posts.
And to “Share Your Thoughts,” continue to scroll down …
Check out Ron’s book, “Right Side Up Thinking in an Upside Down World ~ Looking at the World through the Lens of Biblical Truth” 
Gallagher's Pen ~ 
Your ability to see the Biblical perspective even in the face of unspeakable loss and destruction in the here and now never ceases to amaze and inspire me, Ron. The floods in Texas may become old news as the human cravings for new, attention-grabbing headlines shove this tragedy aside, unceremoniously adding it to the shameful trash heap of our cultural rot. I find such comfort in Mary’s actions that we still treasure to this very day. Let us resolve to hold the ones we love closely and extravagantly each day we have them with us. I, for one, will continue to pray for all the families who lost their precious children and the heroic adults who tried their best to save them.
On an entirely different note, Danny is home earlier than we thought, but still needs lots of prayers for healing and recovery. He is on oxygen at home, and until we can get a portable device, we are unable to attend church, go to the store, etc. We still have Nicco to help as he can, so we are very grateful for that. Thanks to Diane and you for your heartfelt prayers!
LikeLike
It’s always such a blessing to hear from you, Martha. You and Danny have become extended family members around here. In addition to the humbling effect of your gracious comments, it’s an encouraging privilege to be able to share the ups and downs of your lives together and to hear how God moves on your heart and guides the investment of the gifts He bestowed on both of you.
It’s not surprising to hear about your concern and ongoing prayers for the victims, families, and other folks affected down there in Texas. I know that your heart, like ours, also goes out to those incredible men and women continuing to search through that awful chaos left in the hope of at least finding the bodies of those who were lost.
And thank you so much for the personal note letting us know how Danny’s doing. We’re sorry you guys have to be so confined for a while, but it’s amazing how God can use those unplanned and unwelcome situations to do things and/or show us things that we wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Diane and I are praying that the Living Lord who sustains both of you will make this time an investment and not just an expense. And for what it’s worth, if Diane and I ever happen to travel close enough to where you guys live, we’d love to take you and Danny out for a cup of coffee or something, just to say ‘Hi’ face to face. But regardless, we count it a blessing to be in your circle of friends.
LikeLiked by 1 person