From the Floods...

Last week Nashville went through one of the worst floods we have ever experienced. The news was saying a flood of this nature happens once every 1000 years. We are thankful that our home was not damaged, but many of our good friends were heavily impacted. The water rose 52 feet above flood level and quickly filled basements and homes around town. This past week has been full of people coming together to help each other recover. I could go on and on about this past week, but I am really blogging about the adoption. Being surrounded by so much water, and seeing the entire county (along with four others) come to a halt because of the flood has given me a little insight to what India may experience during monsoon season. For those who are not aware, the Indian government and local transportation is disrupted for a few months during monsoon season (June to August). In the past, I have been known to gripe about the delays in adoptions during that season. I just could not understand why the weather could impact the homecoming of so many children. Now I see. If the floods here could cause such chaos in a developed country with paved roads, how much more chaotic would it be in parts of India where the dirt road turn to deep pits of mud? It has been interesting to read about monsoon season and the impact on the country. About 70% of the annual income of India is from the rural population with farming. Farmers there rely heavily on the heavy rains during monsoon season for their crops. When monsoon season is delayed by even a day, there is a drastic impact on their crops. What to some may seem like an annoyance, to others is their livelihood. The monsoons are a great blessing to the people of India. From it comes food and life. Can the same be said of our floods? Yes. The life of our community has been revitalized because of the devastation. We have come together in a way that would not have happened without the rain. People are expressing their love for each other in their words and actions. I may never have the chance to experience monsoon season in India, but I am grateful to see the hope that can come from such difficult circumstances. I need to remind myself of this as I wait for Asha ("Hope"). While it is difficult, there is hope that it will be okay in the end.