“Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” ~ Psalm 31:24

Words can hardly capture the devastation wrought by the recent flash floods in Texas. The heart-wrenching news has left many — myself included — wading through waves of anger, frustration and despair. Yet we need not be paralyzed in our grief; there is a way forward. Consider five ways Christians in particular can channel our sorrow and find courage to carry on.

5 Steps for Processing Tragedy

1. Lament

Holding in our anger or grief is unwise. The Psalmist models faithful indignation in Psalm 10:1: “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Lamenting is like releasing the pressure valve of the soul. It is an honest, holy cry — a declaration that things are not as they should be. Don’t bottle it up. Tell God exactly how you feel. He is mighty enough, loving enough, and near enough to receive our cries.

2. Repent

This is not to suggest the Texas floodwaters were divine punishment. But Paul reminds us that all creation has been impacted by sin: “…the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption… the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:21-22). Natural disasters painfully remind us that the fullness of God’s kingdom — where “tears will be no more” — is not yet here. In such times, we are called to turn again to God with reverence, awe, and a longing for restoration.

3. Serve

“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,” writes Isaiah, “then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday” (Isaiah 58:10). Even small acts of kindness and compassion can be healing. Good works do not save us, but they can rescue us from the mire of despair. Don’t let tragedy beget tragedy and be rendered useless to serve the next person in need.

4. Give Thanks

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1) While calamity sinks our hearts, there are many “good” things to give thanks for, especially family, friends, daily bread and shelter. Savor your dinner. Hug your parents tighter. Call that old friend. Tragedy helps us appreciate these things all the more.

5. Hope

Jesus’ death on the cross atones for sin but also signals God’s solidarity with the human condition. God became flesh and suffered the calamity of the crucifixion. Jesus even cried out in anguish, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We may never understand why innocent people suffer, but we know that Jesus was the most innocent of all and suffered perhaps the most terrible fate of all.

God is thus no stranger to fear, confusion and sorrow. We look especially to the cross in times of disaster because it is the intersection where fear, confusion and sorrow turn to joy and peace. The resurrection signals that calamity will never get the last word. So, as Paul so eloquently teaches in Romans, “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Supernatural strength to move forward

That’s exactly what the survivors of the recent flash floods in Texas have shown us. One video shows a group of rescued campers escaping on a bus, singing with reverence:

“I’ll shout it from the mountain top, praise God! I want the world to know, the Lord of love has come to me, and I want to pass it on.”

If they can still find the courage to pass on the hope of Christ, then who am I to cower? Who am I to tremble? If they can carry on, so can I. So can we.

Copyright 2025 Mark Metze. All rights reserved.