My “Floody” Birthday Experience

On Saturday morning, I woke up with a smile on my face. This is because few two days more and I’m gonna be celebrating my birthday again. The rain continues to pour but we felt like it was a normal rain. Nothing extraordinary would gonna happen on that day. Like an ordinary day, we had our breakfast and then lunch. After watching noontime show, we played chess. As the fight of mind becomes intense, the rain is becoming stronger as well. The rain is now accompanied with whirling wind. The disturbing noise made by the wind and every angry drop of rain were enough to catch our attention that that day is not an ordinary day.

At around 4 pm, quantity of water began to creep near the gate door. Few minutes more and the water was now inside the house. The water creeping in the house made me stunned for a moment while my heart was pumping fast. Though I wanted to run for help, I couldn’t because my knees cannot move. When I had the chance to make one step and collected my thoughts, fear continued to weaken me. So many things were running in my mind. Hope and death were rumbling and fighting over in my head.

When I had my bag, I joined my housemates to find refuge. As we climbed to the second floor, the water continued to pursue us. There was no place where we can find safe haven. On that very moment, everything moved fast like a thunder. It could have also been fast in taking our lives.

On the verge of death, there was nothing more important that saving your life. I realized that everything I have is of no importance in times of calamities like flash flood. There was no one to turn to but God. You would not wish of anything but forgiveness and saving your soul so that in case death comes to you, you will be safe in the hands of God. I felt that life is no worth at all and everything you have planned can be swept in one instance if God wills for it. I also felt the desire to help people I saw who are in need of help, but I just cannot do it because my life is also at stake. It was actually impossible. The only thing you do is to cry and pray fervently while watching more quantity of water eats up properties and people.

But despite the fear and nearing death, hope and faith strengthened me. I firmly believed that God would not grant me a gift of death on my birthday. I believed that God will save us and will stop the water from pursuing us. Then, the flash flood stopped before it reached the roof of the house. Thank God, you spared our life. Thank you also for the experience because I realized how worthless life is without You. For people who had the same experience, I feel the same for you. The calamity that visited us and devastated properties and lives should not weaken our faith but should remind us that God hold our lives and it’s only Him that can save us.