Houston Strong
It's Tuesday, August 29th, as I sit here and write from Conroe, Texas, just 40 miles north of the city I call home. My heart and mind are heavy as I watch from afar the devastation that Hurricane Harvey continues to bring to Houston. My place of residence, along with so many others, has been inundated with water, making it impossible to stay put. I knew my condo in the Heights was too close to White Oak Bayou to stay during the storm, so I left last Thursday and am lucky to have a place with family nearby that I can stay.
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But so many were caught off guard by the flooding and so many don't have a place to go. As the whole city prays and waits for the water to go down and the rain to stop, I'm moved by the people of Houston helping others in this crisis. I see God working through His people in the midst of everything, and it reminds me we can trust Him in all of this. That being said, I can't help but feel a very strong desire to go and aid my fellow Houstonians during this tragedy -- even a sense of guilt that I am not there to help. But with I-45 flooded I am unable to get back to Houston, so all I can do is wait and pray while reality begins to set in on what has happened to my beloved city.
The bottom right corner of the complex where my condo is. To the left you see what is the very top of the car port.
Below are pictures a neighbor sent me of my front door. You can see the water line.
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Fellow Houstonians please know that my heart is with you. I want to thank you for helping our neighbors and friends. I worry about not being able to help stuck here but all of you and God are working and for that I am so thankful. Without even trying Houston's people are showing the U.S.A and the world how united we really are--and that is something to be proud of.
Thank you everyone who has reached out willing to help me by offering to donate their time, spare room, or furniture. I am very grateful and may take you up on that in the future. In the meantime I am safe and blessed. We are strong Houston and we will bounce back. I love you all.
Ashley Rhodes
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