Flood Sep09

Dear Friends,

On September 21, 2009. A big flood hit Atlanta and surrounding areas. No one imagined it would be so big, but it was. FEMA later declared it a national emergency. As a result, many homes were lost and many families displaced. My family is one of those families and here's our story...

The morning of September 21, 2009, started like any other Monday morning. I always got up before the kids (Matthew-15; Joshua-13; and Hannah-7), checked the house and our pet rabbit, Rex. But this morning, there was something a little different in the spirit and my insides quivered, physically, for no apparent reason. I couldn't figure it out. I felt fine and I had no reason to be afraid, so what was the cause of this very noticeable uneasiness in my spirit?

The weather was rainy that day, and there were threats of flooding on the news, but I wasn't overly concerned since our home wasn’t in a flood zone. However, there was still that uneasy quivering inside me which I could not explain or shake. I resolved to get still and quiet before the Lord and pray for understanding. I had to shake this! As soon as I came out of prayer, I thought of my daughter’s school, Clarkdale Elementary. For some reason, I was troubled about the school. For the first time, I put flooding and that school together and I didn't know why. Yet, I was troubled enough to make a phone call.

I picked up the phone and called Clarkdale Elementary. “Will school be open today?” I asked the woman on the other end. “Yes!” she replied, seeming somewhat annoyed that I had asked that. “I wondered," I said, "with all the flood warnings on the news.” But she insisted that wouldn't affect us, and I agreed, still not knowing why I was so troubled about the school. Then we hung up and I began to get the kids ready for school.

Hannah's school, Clarkdale Elementary, was just down the street from our home. It took me one and a half minutes to drop her off (our house was 10 doors away), and as I dropped her off, I couldn't help but pray for the school and the kids. As I pulled off with the boys in the car (heading to Cooper Middle for Josh, and School and South Cobb High School for Matt), I looked at the school again and said aloud, "Lord, please protect the kids in this school." My sons heard me and looked puzzled. It was only raining, why would I be so unnerved. But I explained that I was only doing what the Holy Spirit was leading me to do.

When I got to work, I told one of my colleagues, a Christian, that I was very troubled about my daughter's school flooding. It sat on level ground at the bottom of a hill. He understood, and encouraged me not to worry.

A few hours later, at around 12:35pm (ET), I received a call at work that my daughter's school was being evacuated because of flooding. My daugher, Hannah, is a 1st grader at Clarkdale Elementary (the school shown on CNN that went underwater due to the big flood). All parents were asked to come and pick up their children. I rushed out to pick her up. When I got there, many teachers, knee deep in water, were carrying children out of the school to save them. It was nightmarish. These little children were so brave, though. Many of them fell as they tried to evacuate and climb on to school buses in their little shoes, now wet from the flood water they walked through. And the rain continued to come down.

After I yelled, "Shame on Cobb County" for opening the shools on this day (an episode that was caught by the news media). I followed the school buses to pick up my daughter and commend the heroic Clarkdale Elementary teachers and administrators.

When leaving, I got a call from my son Joshua's school. He is a 7th grader at Cooper Middle school. The street beside the school (Clay Rd.) was flooding and they were evacuating. I was heading over to pick him up, but then Joshua called me and said, "Mom, I'm at home! They evacuated our school. The bus driver put us out in flood water up to our knees, but we made it home!!" I was appalled to say the least!! Why would a bus driver and a school system NOT have a better plan than to put the children out in flood water?!! Nevertheless, I drove through the flood water to rescue him from our home which would later be flooded in water almost 4 feet high wall to wall. I had preached many sermons, as Pastor of Radiant Light Church, in this home.

We lost everything in the flood on that day. We even lost our beloved pet rabbit, Rex. It was a very grievous day, yet so much beauty has come as a result.

As we threw all our belongings (Bibles, photos, furniture, clothing, computers, electronics, utensils, washer and dryer, church microphone, and more) out on the street for garbage collection; we saw herds of Good Samaritans come through the neighborhood offering help and cleaning supplies. The Boy Scouts, some of them no more than eight years old, came with buckets (bigger than themselves) of cleaning supplies. Others donated water and PowerAde, while some brought hamburgers, lovingly made from their own homes. Then the Church of Latter Day Saints came with Gatorade and Doughnuts and hugs and good wishes. They offered FREE manpower to tear down walls, move furniture and all. It was all so beautiful. I tear up thinking about it now.

That is why I have not been in contact with many of you and have not responded to your emails. I've been without a computer and still no home at the moment. I am currently using the computer at work.

We've had more than 30 bags of clothing donated to us (many of which we also gave away to the needy). People have opened up their homes to us and said, pick what you need! We also have more furniture than we need and will be giving some away once we get settled. Please stay tuned as I will list the give-away items on this site. They will be available to families affected by the flood first, then to others who may need them.

I am getting ready to leave work now, so I will be without a computer until tomorrow, but another co-worker, here at the corporate office of The Home Depot (where I serve as a copywriter and script writer), is bringing me a 4-slice bagel toaster as I write. God is good!

Please keep me and my three children in your prayers. We need a home. I am believing God for a Prophetic Word concerning our housing, so feel free to let the Lord use you! That's what I encourage at Radiant Light and provide opportunity, so I encourage you all now. Let God use you, not just for me, but for the thousands of people affected by the floods, unemployment, poverty, sickness, and bondage of every sort. Pray for us all. Let your light shine and represent our Savior Jesus with your actions and attitude. I love you with the love of Jesus.

Give love, live love!

Much love to you all,

Tracey Smith

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