Nanay has worked so hard this week that this afternoon, her BP shot up to 160/90. Ezra, my youngest brother drove her to the hospital to be checked. She had 3-4 140/90 peaks over the week and has been cleaning endlessly since the flood, resting only to sleep, or because her heart will not allow her to work. She was sent home earlier and advised by the doctor to rest.
For those who are concerned, thank you. My family and I are ok. The only major damage is my brother's car which was flooded, his bedroom which is still damp (wet actually, under the tiles), and furniture & 'almost unimportant' stuff destroyed by the flood. Thank you for the prayers and for being there.
I have learned a couple of things from my experience from the flood that I'd like to share partially. At one point while we were cleaning up, in my mind, I could not help but place the friends I knew in categories.
1) Are friends who came in person to our house. Some walked kilometers because our roads were either inaccessible to vehicles or public commute was unavailable. Some walked flooded waters to get to my home, some on muddy roads. They came to work, dirtied their hands, and soiled their clothes. They labored while their strength was strong, and labored still even though they were already tired. They brought food and water, because we barely had none. And when they left, they asked for nothing back.
2) Are friends who texted (or called) out of concern. They remembered where I lived, but because they were unavailable (or very far), instead sent their love by finding out how my family and I were. Some wanted to come, even though they were from neighbouring provinces. But their roads were blocked by the flood as well.
3) Are friends who knew where I lived and could have deduced from news what had transpired in my home. But they never came and I did not hear from them. Some of them, I asked help from. Because if I could have done it on my own, then there was no need to ask help. But they did not come, not a word, not a reason. Some who knew what my family was going through, could not even care to text and find out how I was or at least pretend and say that they wanted to come but were equally busy as I was.
It's true, that in times of calamity, or famine, or war, the true colors of men are shown. Some of those I consider friends never came nor communicated. While some who I barely knew, where the ones who went to my home, and worked on it as if it were their own.
With the exception of a few (who knows who they are), most of the people who personally went to my house are people from my church - Destiny. I only learned yesterday that my senior pastor on Saturday night, during the rains, had rallied and mobilized the whole of the church, and sent them out in groups the next day (to church members affected by the flood), even canceling the morning service to do so.
Destiny people cared not because I was a pastor in my church or any other similar reason. They came because I was a brother in Christ who direly needed help. I'm wondering. Could have the fraternities done the same for a brother? Could a school organization have done the same for a member? Could a company have done the same for its employee? Maybe.
But I am sure not with the same heart and love a christian would.
It's a joy to find out I am amongst men (and women) whose hearts are the same as mine.