Floods Can Be The Best Metaphor For Emotions

​Like many of you, I have watched the flood scenes out of Texas this weekend with an aching heart.

How can I not?

I read the story yesterday of a woman found clinging to branches in a tree 20 miles downstream from where the waters picked her up. Along the way, while being little more than debris herself, she collided with appliances, automobiles, trees and more.

One moment life is fine. Then, without notice, you are somewhere you never imagined you could be having no idea how you got there.

Or more sadly, swept away forever.

I have thought this weekend, mainly prompted by these horrific scenes and stories, how using flooding as a metaphor for emotions might be one of the most appropriate uses of metaphor there is. Of course, this is coming from a guy who has found himself swept up in some strong emotional currents lately that I didn't see coming.

And swept away to places I didn't imagine going.

I told a friend this morning that I understand how people's emotions land them in some ugly places. Maybe acting out on rage or hiding from the world out of deep depression. It is not easy for everyone to see the flood of emotions coming; it is often even harder for them to be much more than debris in the water once the flood of emotions has picked them up.

I said this not to excuse behaviors, but to offer them compassion. Understanding.

I wonder, how many interpersonal relationships are simply riding out floods of emotions?

How much of our online world is simply the momentum of floods of emotions? We check in here in one place and without much notice we are suddenly way downstream in a mess of anger or vitriol or even great sadness.

My heart breaks for all of those in the Texas floods who did not get a chance to grab a branch. My heart breaks for the floods of emotions that will certainly be overwhelming the loved ones they have left behind. I pray those loved ones, even if by some miracle, will find a branch in their floods.

May some of us be so kind as to BE those branches.

And I also stand reminded that when I am feeling swept away by my own rush of emotions, when I feel my emotions carrying me off to places I don't want to go, carrying me off to be a person I don't want to be, that for me I am blessed to know there is always a branch.

I pray I continue to get better at grabbing it.