O God,
the waters rose,
swift and merciless, barreling past boundaries,
and sweeping away what once felt safe.
We are aching in the aftermath.
Be present now, O Refuge and Strength,
with first responders still searching through debris,
still daring to hope for rescue.
Give them courage for the task ahead,
and gentleness for the heartbreak they carry.
Be near to the parents –
mothers and fathers groaning with grief –
who sent their daughters to summer camp
expecting laughter, not loss.
Hold them in the hollow, painful places
no words can reach.
For the camp community –
shaken, stunned, suspended in sorrow –
bind them together in love and lament.
Let their grief be met by your tenderness,
their questions received by your mercy.
We pray, too, for all who saw the waters rise
and lived through the nightmare.
For the ones who have lost homes,
lost livelihoods, lost loved ones,
may your mercy meet their needs.
And for every hand that will lift debris,
every neighbor who shows up with a shovel,
every weary heart bracing for the long work of rebuilding:
grant endurance, grant strength, grant solidarity.
God, in these days of devastation,
be what your Word promises:
a refuge, a help,
a very present Savior.
Amen.
