Promises in the Attic

One hundred years ago this past spring, Ohioans saw flooding statewide. Every river and every major stream in Ohio rose over their banks. The Maumee, the Sandusky, and the Cuyahoga all flooded before they could empty into Lake Erie in the north. The Muskingum River, the Scioto, and the Great Miami and their tributaries, and even the Ohio overflow their levies to the south.  Towns from the near highest elevations in Central Ohio to the low lying cities along Lake Erie and the banks of the Ohio all saw devastation, but the hardest hit were the small towns and cities along the Great Miami River in Southwestern Ohio.

At the confluence of the Great Miami and three of its major tributaries in Dayton, there was tremendous devastation with deep flood waters flowing through the downtown area. Many Daytonians lost their lives. One man and his family was seen riding on the roof of their house as it washed off its foundation, the swift current exploding it into splinters as it crashed into the Main Street Bridge. Survivors elsewhere heard the cries of others who were trapped by fires that had broken out and the only way to escape was to jump into the swirling currents of icy cold muddy waters.

The Old National Road was diverted to cross over the newly built Englewood Dam in 1921. The dam was built along with five others by the Miami Conservancy District which was organized to provide flood protection in the Miami Valley in southwestern, Ohio. Residence continue to enjoy the protection it provides - and it is the results of "promises made in the attic".  

As the flood water rose, men and women had to take refuge on higher floors, eventually climbing into their cold attics where in the dark solemn spaces they could hear the rushing waters outside smashing debris against their houses and the floating furniture below banging into their walls. Dark and alone with their children they contemplated their fate and their only hope of rescue is that God would save them.

When the clean-up began, the civic leaders adopted a motto – “Remember the promises you made in the attic” as their promise to rebuild Dayton.  I can only imagine what some of the promises may have been – “If you would just save us, Dear Lord, we promise that…”

We make promises to God – either in times of great distress or perhaps just being excited about a golden opportunity. “Save me” or “give me” followed by a promise is something that we do, oftentimes unwisely.  Or, even our wedding vows, or when we are baptized, we make a promise before God. 

At the time we are serious and sincere, but sometimes our sincerity fades in our memories and we choose to think “but that was then and this is now”. We believe that with time God forgets, or He understands that the situation has changed – so we no longer need to fulfill our promises. 

The scriptures read differently.  “When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow now.”  _{Ecclesiastes 5:4}