Upon the Waters

“Cast your bread upon the waters,

for after many days you will find it again.”

(Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Somehow I lost this summer . . . and I am not really sure where I lost it.  It was the summer that wasn’t.  The first two summers that we moved to Montana was filled with lots of outdoor activities . . . hiking, critter creeping, visiting Yellowstone, cruising the Beartooth Pass, and generally enjoying the great outdoors.  This summer . . . well, not so much—one measly hike!  Oh, I could blame it out the unseasonably hot summer we had here in Montana—about fifteen degrees above normal most days, but I don’t really think that it had much to do with the weather.  If anything, the weather was just an excuse. 

Nope, it was just a lost summer and I have been contemplating this feeling for a couple of weeks now.  My lost summer has nothing to do with the weather . . . it had more to do with “casting my bread upon the waters.”  Ecclesiastes 11:1 is one of my favorite Bible verses.  The imagery of casting one’s bread upon the waters is a powerful metaphor as it speaks towards what I now realize I have been feeling for a couple of months—primarily the months of summer.

The story of the writer of Ecclesiastes is a powerful story of navigating life . . . of attempting to discover what it is that gives one happiness and purpose in life.  I like to tell people that it is about a guy going through a mid-life crisis.  Though technically I am in mid-life, my children tell me I am on the downhill slide of life, I am not going through a mid-life crisis.  But that is what is happening to the writer in Ecclesiastes, whose motto seems to be: “Eat, drink, and be happy!”  I can vouch on that part of the story for myself . . . I have eaten, drank, and been happy.  Nothing gets between me and the table.  No, there is no mid-life crisis, it is more of a recognizing of the changes in life.  At one point the writer of Ecclesiastes throws his bread upon the water . . . and waits . . . waits to see what returns.  He places it in the hands of God.

Not realizing it, that is what I did this summer.  A lot of changes took place since May.  The youngest son graduated college, moved to Utah to be with his true love, and basically abandoned his old man.  Gone were my hiking buddies (the youngest and his bride-to-be) and I was left to search for adventure alone.  Little did I realize how deeply connected we were . . . and I casted it upon the waters . . .

The wife and I started the summer with one beautiful granddaughter in Colorado with another one in Alabama that joined the family at the tail end of July.  At the present time we only have a relationship with one as the mother of the other has chosen to deny us a relationship with our granddaughter.  There is a lot of anger and hostility on the mother’s part, a lot of frustration and confusion on our parts.  The granddaughter in Alabama is a beautiful joy and our adventure with her is just beginning, but it hurts to think about what could have been with the beauty in Colorado.  So I casted it upon the waters . . .

The house was emptier than it has ever been before in our lives this summer.  With the youngest and his bride-to-be down in Utah . . . the oldest living in Colorado . . . and the daughter, son-in-law, and newest grandchild in Alabama . . . there was less noise and activity in the house.  The one child who lives with us still is an introvert and despite his best efforts he barely made a din.  I discovered that I missed the noise and activity of having family around.  I casted it upon the waters . . .

Probably last, but by no means the least, was my health.  The winter months were too good to me as I let my body enjoy life a little too much.  Let’s just say there is more of me to enjoy life.  Add to that the fact that my thyroid still was not quite acting as it should have been, which raised my cholesterol, and I didn’t always quite feel like myself.  Watching my diet, a little of better life through chemistry, and things are beginning to look a whole lot better.  But with my health . . . I casted it upon the waters . . .

My mother always enjoyed autumn the best.  She said that it was the time of the year when everything in nature and life was beginning to slow down.  It was a good time for sitting back and reflecting upon life.  I understand what she means . . .

Edwin Way Teale writes: “For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.”  I think that which I casted upon the waters has returned . . . the time for harvesting its worth is now.  In its return I have discovered the blessing of gift.  I have discovered a rich and deep connection—relationship—with my family that cannot be lessen despite the distance that is between us.  True, they may not be physically with me, but they are in my heart no matter where my adventures may take me.  In that we are always together and the reunions are wonderful.  In my granddaughters, yes, granddaughters I have found a deep joy and hope for what may come . . . nothing can ever separate us for that love runs deep whether we ever see each other again.  A part of me is in each of them, and they are always within me.  There is always hope for what may be.  And, my health . . . well, unknowingly wallowing around lamenting a summer lost is no way to appreciate the gift God has blessed me with—life.  It only adds to the waist and waste.  I have no one to blame for that but myself. 

Happiness and purpose . . . both came back even though that was not what I was expecting.  It is found in the relationships in my life.  I have been blessed with a wonderful family that continues to grow . . . a beautiful place to call home . . . and purpose for getting up each and every day.  No, not work . . . I get paid to do that.  No, in the relationships that grace my life each and every day.  Life is in the relationship.  Sometimes we just look for it in the wrong places.  Sometimes we just need to cast our bread upon the waters . . . God will return it . . . and then we will know.

 

And the Water Came

Little did I fathom that when I left for work in the big city on Wednesday morning that there was going to be any problems in the community of Joliet where our home is.  Approximately an hour and a half after I left the town was hit with a flood from Rock Creek flooding about two-thirds of the community--mostly everything to the south of Highway 212.  This flood was due to uncontrollable circumstances that combined to make the water miss a curve in the creek and head straight down the highway.  Though there is considerable debate on whether or not the flooding could have been avoided, it flooded.  Highway 212 from Rockvale to Red Lodge was closed down as the community was slowly inundated with water--LOTS OF WATER!  The pictures above are looking towards Main Street approximately twelve hours after the water flooded the community--it was slowly going down.

Both the wife and I had been at our places of employment in the big city when we began receiving inquiries about the flood in Joliet.  My first reaction was--what flood?  At first I did not believe those who were asking the questions, but it was soon on the local radio stations that Highway 212 was closed due to a major flood in Joliet.  Talk about turning a day into a bummer!  From that moment on my only concern was what was happening in the town I call home--was my house flooding?  Was the church I serve flooding?  What about the people who attend the church--were they safe?  My son--who was at home--safe?  A million scenarios flashed through my mind.  It was difficult to concentrate on work the whole day as I kept getting various reports about the situation.  I was pretty edgy by quitting time rolled around.

Making me even more edgy was the fact that the road to Joliet was still closed come quitting time.  The wife assured me that local traffic could go into Joliet, but that did nothing to ease my anxiousness.  We met at the daughter's house to decide what we were doing--were we going to go home, or were we going to spend the night in the big city?  Basically we had a nice visit with the daughter, youngest son, and our two furry grandchildren, had a little pizza, and decided to take the adventure and return home.  Of course this was only after getting some reassurance from a member of the church that it was safe to come home.  Thus the adventure was on!

I was not prepared for the scene that I encountered once I arrived in Joliet.  The highway looked like a river.  water was everywhere.  Pumps were humming all around town in a noisy chorus.  Rubber-neckers were driving all over town taking in the flood.  We both had to take a haphazardly way to get to the house to avoid the water, but thankfully the north side of the highway avoided the brunt of the flooding.  It was a mess.

With the high water and the fast flow we were pretty much stuck on our side of the highway when we got home.  My concern for the church was abated some when I was told that the flood water never crested over the curb and into the church.  That was later squashed when a member of the church called to say that the church basement had about ten inches of water in the basement.  My heart sunk.  From a distance the church looked safe from our side of the street--images can be deceiving.

The amount of water that flooded the community was more than its antiquated sewer system could handle the result was a double dose of flooding.  A lot of the flooding came through the sewer system speeding up the amount of time that it took to fill the community's many basements.  That was the cause of the flooding in the church basement.  It was not a mere ten inches of water in the basement, it was closer to twenty inches at 6:30AM this morning.  The pictures below are of the two entrances into our basement.

As you can see there is a lot of water!  The church family had five families with flooded basements.  The town had its only grocery store flooded.  Two-thirds of the homes in the community were flooded.  But we are not the only ones who have been affected by the nine inches of rain received in the past seven days--there are many communities that have been flooded.  One of the hardest and poorest areas of Montana to be flooded was the Crow Reservation south of the big city.  The flooding was so bad through that area that Interstate 90, from Hardin to the Wyoming state line was closed for several days.  And, the flooding is probably not over as more rain is predicted this Memorial Day Weekend, plus the warmer temperatures and rain is accelerating the snow melt creating even more water down the waterways of the state.  Creeks and rivers already at flood stage are expected to flood again next week.  Who would have imagined this in a hundred years?  I guess that is why they call it a "hundred year" flood.

So it is that the community has banded together to help one another out.  The pumps are humming.  Sandbags are being filled and placed.  People are reaching out to one another--taking care of one another.  Joliet is being a community--people with a common union, even if it is a flood that binds them together.  In the days to come please keep the people of flood ravaged Montana in your prayers--we just ain't used to all of this water!  After years of drought we appreciate the water, but enough is enough!