Lake White flooding poses “immediate threat” due to inability to open new flood gates.

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I lived on Lake White for ten years, between 2004-2014. This is Waverly in Pike County. I lived on the opposite end of the large part of the lake, as seen in the picture below. It’s about a two-mile distance from one end of the lake to the other. I learned how to water-ski on that lake.

During the time I was there, a new flood gate was being put in because the old manmade spillway was not movable, the water would come to a certain height then automatically spill over to drain excess water. Building the new flood gate was the idea of the governing officials. They felt having flood gates that they could open and close on their command was a much better idea than the old spill-over idea. This closed down the lake for two summers and the lake was drained down to mud bottom. Even after the new flood gate was installed, soon after it was leaking and had to be repaired.

The picture below is of how Lake White looks when it is drained.

Unfortunately, even to this date, there are still problems with the drain gate. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources [ODNR], are not able to open the drain gate to drain the excess of water from the lake. Now, there is an evacuation order due to the dangerous flooding that poses an “immediate threat” to the residents of low-lying areas around the lake.

We live in a world today where the actions we do from good intentions often result in adding aggravation, frustration, and anger, which becomes much more costly financially, emotionally, spiritually than we ever envisioned. Like replacing one thing in order to improve a situation.

As followers of Jesus Christ, He gives us the Holy Spirit, our comforter, so that bad situations are able to strengthen the quality of our life in the Spirit. “…we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

Holiness is a process that eventually allows us to actually grow in times of hurtful, painful, and frustrating tribulation. Holiness comes by the sanctification process where hate become love, cruelty becomes kindness, mal intent becomes goodwill, violence becomes peace, self-will becomes meekness, harshness becomes gentleness, hopelessness becomes faith, sadness becomes joy, wickedness becomes goodness, despair becomes perseverance, impulsiveness becomes self-control, and impatience becomes patience.

To help us in our walk of Holiness, we are justified by our faith in Jesus Christ, and we have peace with God. We are not perfect, but we grow day-by-day as we are sanctified by His mercy, grace, and love. We might experience anger and frustration, but by the grace and mercy of God, He does not condemn us but continues to mold us into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2