By Tammy Sharp, Regional Reporter
ZACHARY – Peace of mind for many here has been swept downstream.
Not so for Cross Creek Cowboy Church member Melinda Michiels, who lost almost everything she owned when the Comite River, usually calm and shallow, spilled over its banks in August.
“I lost stuff, but I gained a lot. You have things in your heart you don’t even realize until God pulls it out and waves it in your face,” said Michiels. “I know I have Cross Creek, I know I have God, but now I don’t have as much stuff.”
”We were meeting in the Cowboy Church in the arena before we got our building,” remembers Debi Morris about the first time she met Michiels. “She drove up a couple years ago on her tractor and said, ‘If God puts a church in your front yard you might ought to check it out.”
“She didn’t know what she believed,” said Morris, whose son Josh preaches at Cross Creek. But over the last two years, through Cross Creek services, Bible study and mentoring, Michiels has come to a firm belief, as evidenced by her reaction to the flood.
“It didn’t cross my mind that He would leave me hanging out there,” said Michiels.
As the rain pelted down, water rose high and fast August 13.
Friend Liz Markey, of Zachary First Baptist, stopped by Michiels’ house and became stuck in the driveway. Leaving her dogs in the car, Markey navigated to Michiels’ house on her walker through two inches of water.
Twenty minutes later Michiels went back for Markey’s dogs, but the water had risen and the current had become so strong that it swept Michiels off her feet, forcing her back to the house, where Markey called 911.
In the meantime, three men for whom Michiels had been keeping horses arrived and had to swim part way and then link arms to withstand the current in order to get to the horses, standing in water up to their bellies.
Once the horses were secured, the men came back for Markey’s dogs. But one man was swept off his feet and floated downstream before getting caught on a bush, said Michiels, who was able to throw him a rope.
But the men could not safely get Markey out of the house, so the women waited with their five dogs as the water continued to rise.
“There really wasn’t much else to do, except watch it,” Michiels said. And she was amazed at what floated by: islands of ants; the wishing well in her yard; her pontoon boat; a small mole; and, spiders. “There were a lot of spiders in the water. I was anxious to get out of there.”
As they waited, Markey sat downstairs with her dog on the bed because she could not navigate the stairs. Meanwhile, Michiels stayed upstairs with the remaining dogs. They both prayed.
“Things would crash, and I’d holler down ‘Liz was that you or furniture?’ And she’d holler back that she was fine, it was just furniture,” Michiels said.
Then at 3 a.m., rescuers arrived. Michiels went downstairs, swimming through the kitchen with her chocolate lab to let them in, but the door was stuck.
Water rushed in when she opened a window. But she managed to climb out, fighting from being carried away by the current.
Ultimately, the firemen came to her back door in a bass boat and took Michiels and Markay to a nearby church, The Rock, where they were welcomed with open arms and dry clothes.
However, relief was short lived because within 30 minutes rising water forced everyone to be evacuated to Zachary First Baptist.
“I can’t say enough about how brave everyone was,” Michiels said. “And I knew Cross Creek Cowboy Church had my back and were praying for me.”
Now, wading through the recovery process, Michiels is living with her sister and brother-in-law, using one of their vehicles to get around. “They’ve been an unbelievable blessing to me,” she said.
“Two years ago she didn’t have that faith,” said Debi Morris. “Instead of being bitter, she’s able to see that God has provided. She has a place to live and a car. God is just really working in her life. The flood has caused her faith to get stronger.”
