There is not much someone like me can add to convey or capture the grief felt from the Texas floods. I am lucky to have my family completely intact in my dry corner of the country.

So, I am aware that anything I write will ring hollow. However, even though I tried to immediately space it from my mind, the thought of losing my children to such a savage disaster has entered my head. Sloan is the age of some of the girls who lost their lives while attending Camp Mystic. They went to swim, make friends, sing songs, and grow closer to God—all things that scream my daughter’s name. I couldn’t imagine her going to camp and not coming back.

The other story that rips my heart is that of Blair and Brooke Harber. They went to visit their grandparents and brought their rosaries with them. Sadly, the waters carried the sisters away around 3:30 a.m. on Friday. They were found deceased 15 miles from their cabin…their hands locked together in an incredible display of sisterhood.

Some of the acts of heroism have been documented. A Coast Guard rescue swimmer named Scott Ruskan, 26, is credited with saving 169 people from the floods, including Camp Mystic survivors. Not bad for his first rescue mission. By my count, he saved nearly seven people for every year of his young life. He had this to say about his heroic actions:

I’m just a dude. I chose to enlist in the Coast Guard. Anyone is able to do this. Anyone’s able to do this job; if you raise your right hand, do it. So, I’m just happy I was given the opportunity to help these people out.

Yep, anyone is able, but most take the route that I did and don’t. During such a dark tragedy, the heroism and humility of Ruskan brings a glimmer of respite. Please pray for those who have died, those who have lost loved ones, those who are helping with the recovery effort, and everyone else impacted by this disaster. Don’t Blink.