Steve Stricker

By Steve Stricker

Columnist

 

“Helpless,” unable to defend or help oneself; weak and dependent; unable to control or manage a situation or a strong feeling; a lack of power and inability to act or to protect oneself.  I feel so helpless….  

In the terrifying, dark, early hours of Friday, July 4th, Kerr County, Texas, was devastated by a once-in-a-lifetime flash flood where the Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in under an hour, in a region known as, “Flash Flood Alley.”   Camp Mystic, a much respected, private Christian, century-old summer retreat for girls, was in this region, slammed by a tsunami-like wave of torrential rain and washed away. Although hundreds of campers were saved, the camp director died as he tried to save others, and as I write this on Thursday, July 10, 171 are missing, including 27 campers and one counselor.  

Like in Vietnam and all other times when I was thrust into many helpless live or die situations, the images of these young girls swept away, hit me like that tsunami and oh the unimaginable feelings of the parents and friends of these young girls….  

Former US first Lady Laura Bush was a camp counselor there. Past Camp Mystic attendees included the daughters of former U.S. President Lyndon B Johnson and former Texas Governor John Connally. “Those who have lost their precious children are facing a grief no parents should ever know. We know our words cannot help, but we believe the prayers of so many Americans will.” 

Speaking in English at the Vatican conclusion of the Angelus on Sunday, July 6, Pope Leo offered his sincere condolences “to all the families who have lost loved ones—in particular their daughters who were at summer camp—in the disaster caused by the flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas in the United States. We pray for them.” 

The Gospel for 8:30 am Mass at St. John’s on Monday, July 7, was Matthew 9:18-26, where Jesus takes the hand of a little girl thought dead, and she got up.  Two young Mystic Campers’ sisters swept away, were recovered still holding hands. Oh God, please take their hands, raise them and all the missing up!  

“The Lord wants to come to our homes, the home of our hearts and the homes of our families shocked by death,” Pope Francis wrote. “He wants to be near us, he wants to touch our affliction, he wants to give us his hand to raise us up again.” Please, God. 

I had another column already written for the Eagle this Wednesday edition, but could not get the image of those little girls out of my mind or broken, weeping, heart. So much life to live and give ripped away from them, shaken from their sleep in those unthinkable dark early hours of a happy, free, celebratory holiday, disoriented, scared, unable to fight the raging force of that flood water, helpless, lost…. Please do not blame our all-good, God. Only He knows the why…whew, tears…why God…? 

Having felt the force of a strong current in the mighty Mississippi River minutes from my Southern Missouri home fishing or swimming in a sand bar.  And on a weekend outing with my family, girlfriend at the time and nieces and nephews in the Curren River, a boat carrying some, capsized and although wearing life jackets, scattered them and in trying to help, swam out into the strong current, probably without a life jacket, was sucked into a “shoot” of separate water, much faster, and was helplessly pulled under for many seconds before bobbing up on the other side. I could easily have been snagged by an underwater obstruction and drowned, but my Guardian Angel, “Steve,” once again saved my life.  

Perhaps this incident was to again remind me, all of us, as to how short life is and that life without God is not life. 

To all who lost loved ones in this horrific Texas flood, especially those young girls and their parents, close friends, all first responders, and to all of us who are grieving as well – God bless us all. Some things will not be revealed to us…until then, lead us my Lord. Oh my God, so much pain.