Write About What You Know ... Part 3

What else do I know? What else..what else. Oh, I know. I know love is never lost. Love can always be found, even in the depths of dispair. In those moments of life when it seems our world is crashing in on us, when nothing seems to be going our way, when we're at our wits end, love will find a way. Love will rescue us.

How do I know this, you may be asking yourself. Well, I happen to know the Author of love and have felt Him rescue me more than once and using love to do it. Love from my wife, love from my children, love from perfect strangers at just the right moment and, above all, love directly from Him.

My first experience with this type of love was when I was 4, almost 5 years old - July 19/20, 1977. My city was flooded and my neighborhood was one of the worst hit. It was a horrible night. In the morning, daylight shown on the extent of the devistation. A small community just downstream was completely wiped out. Our building still stood, but was damaged and we had to evacuate to an elementary school up the hill in neighboring Westmont about 2 miles away. My father was in the National Guard and was called up to assist in emergency response. So there's my mother with six kids, ages 2 to 12, stunned and scared, wading through the water and mud, making our way there.

Near the base of the hill there were homes barely affected by the flood as they were on higher ground. And out of one of these houses came love ~~ in the form of strangers. An older couple who spied my mother and her brood treking through the muck. They offered us a place to rest. Provided some food and drink. Then piled us in the back of his big black car, muddy feet and all, and drove us the rest of the way to the shelter. Love rescued us.

My next vivid memory surrounding this event happened at the shelter. We arrived and somehow I got separated from the rest of my family. I remember being very scared and crying and running up and down the halls through the crowds of people looking for my mom or my brothers or my sister.... anyone. I sat down against a wall, pulled my knees up to my face and just cried. Once again, love arrived ~~ in the form of a blind man. (It's totally possible he was an angel, because my mother swears she doesn't remember any of this, but I certainly do.)

This blind gentleman was probably late 20's, early 30's. Had the shades and the white cane, the whole bit. He heard me crying above all the commotion. He came over, bent down and asked what was wrong. I remember his voice was so calm and kind and soothing. It's like I stopped crying almost immediately. I told him my problem and he said he'd help me find my family. He took me by his hand and we started walking. All I remember is a feeling of love, of being safe. The next thing I know, he says "There's your mom." She was standing just a couple feet ahead, calling my name. I ran over and we hugged. I turned to show her who found me and he was gone. Love had rescued me.