There are times when insomnia could be handy.

I keep waiting for a moment in time to stop and write to you all here, but that moment keeps evading me. Tonight, I'm making that moment, even if it's only a tiny one (I'm so sleepy).

Tuesday found us driving home from our semi-spontaneous road trip with the fear that we might not make it through. The radio was a constant in the background, sharing the unfolding news of the flood devastation as an angry wall of water made its way through Queensland and down into northern New South Wales. We wore out our phone batteries checking updates through social media and replying to anxious text messages from friends. There was an urgency to our northwards drive as road after road closed. But -- miraculously -- they kept closing behind us. At one moment we saw emergency services crews hauling the blockades out onto the road seconds after we passed.

There was an eerie and surreal sense to the trip. We passed tiny towns where locals had gathered by the streets to fill sandbags. We drove across a patch of road where the Clarence River had overgrown its banks and was spilling onto the highway. And we took a four hour detour when the inland pathway was blocked by floods. Eventually we made it home, though, dry and safe -- and with hearts breaking for those whose stories have not ended so neatly.

The destruction left by these floods is difficult to comprehend, even here on the fringes of it all. Please pray for Queensland.

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Conversations:

Meaghan -- YES! My road trip included youuu! Hooray!

Samantha R -- and I hope your 2011 is drenched in grace :).

Elizabeth Fay -- ooh, I should have taken opportunity today to talk with you about the Dawntreader movie and our mutual favourite quote.

Mitanika -- I absolutely think Eleven should be the mascot for 2011.