Texas is a big state, all 268,820 square miles of it. With this much terrain, comes a broad spectrum of weather. Hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, extreme heat and sudden drop in temperature. We have “Blue Northers,” where it can be 80 degrees at breakfast and 30 degrees at dinner. We also have flash floods occurring suddenly after a “gully washer” in a short time period. Two inches of rapidly moving water can sweep a car off the road. Texas is known as “flash flood alley.” That’s what happened in 1985.
Working for the CEO of a growing company I had interactions with HR on an almost daily basis. Bill, the Human Resources Director, was a really nice guy and knew his stuff. He worked well under pressure, and since I worked in a highly stressful job, I was always curious how he was able to maintain balance. He inspired me with stories of his faith, the struggles he faced, and how his relationship with Jesus Christ gave him the strength to persevere. I admired Bill a lot. In a hurry to get out the door and start the weekend, I remember telling Bill to have a good weekend and I would see him Monday for staff meeting.
Every spring the seasonal rains come. So in April, 1985, on a Friday night, what started as a trickle, ended with 10 inches of rain falling in a few hours. Bill, his wife, son and daughter were driving home from a church meeting. They must have crossed the bridge at the exact moment when a deluge of water came pouring across the road with such force it carried their car into the creek filled with teeming water. It took a week to recover their bodies.
The loss of my friend Bill and his family hit me in the gut. It instantly brought back memories of my brother’s sudden death ten years earlier. I had just spoken to Bill and then he was gone. Were they ready to die? Something tells me they were. Since none of know when that time will come, the important question is, are you?
Tagged: perseverance, Texas weather
