A Texas man followed his instincts during devastating floods and saved a mother and her three children from drowning when their house was swept off its foundation.
Sometimes God speaks to us through gentle whispers no matter what we believe. Matthew Crowder listened to that quiet inner voice and it made all the difference for a family trapped by rising flood waters.
Something Made Him Stop
Matthew was driving to work early Friday morning in Jonestown, Texas, when the floods hit. He planned to go home after work and relax. But when he reached the main road, something stopped him. “…something just kept me there,” he said.
A Family Asleep in Danger
That decision changed everything for Crissy Eliashar and her children.
Inside their home, Crissy slept with her three kids – Dove, Mayan, and Benji – plus another child who was spending the night. They had no idea the water was rising fast around their house.
The Wake Up Call
Matthew began yelling warnings to wake them up. Crissy’s son heard him first. “He came and ran to me in the bedroom with a very forceful mom. There’s a man screaming, we’ve got to go now!” Crissy remembered.
When Crissy opened her front door, she couldn’t believe what she saw.
“I couldn’t comprehend it. I opened the front door and there was a raging river that had appeared underneath my house. It was terrifying,” she said.
Racing Against Time
Matthew knew they had to move fast. He guided the family through several steps to get them to safety.
First, they climbed over a chain link fence. Then they got into their pickup truck. Finally, they made it to the neighbor’s yard.
A Close Call
The escape almost turned deadly when young Dove slipped and fell. “My daughter slipped out and fell. Lost her shoe, nearly went down the river with my car. Her brother dove grabbed her by her hair. And saved her life,” Crissy said.
Crissy was terrified watching her daughter almost get swept away. “I was a mess just screaming. Hysterical and hyperventilating. I didn’t do well, but my kids were so brave,” she admitted.
But her son gave her strength when he said, “Mom. We’re alive. Snap out of it.”
Staying Calm in Crisis
Matthew stayed calm through it all, even though he was scared too. “I was pretty scared myself, and I had not I have never done anything like this. So it was just doing what made sense to me and just kind of stepping up as a natural leader and just being that calm and giving that clear instruction,” he explained.
The family made it out with their four dogs, including little Jojo. “We had four dogs with us and this was the smallest one. We had a German shepherd and a standard poodle and another little dog, and these boys had them in their arms immediately. And so glad that we all got out alive,” Crissy said.
Meeting Their Hero Again
Recently, Matthew and the family met again for the first time since that scary night. The reunion was emotional for everyone. Crissy called Matthew her hero.
“He’s been a really great angel on this earth and it was great to see him again,” she said. “He’s my angel. Thank you so much for saving our lives. That’s all I can, I can’t I can’t say enough.”
The family lost their home and most of their belongings. But they are grateful to be alive. A friend started a GoFundMe page to help them rebuild.
We know that our God is always watching over us and protecting us from harm. This family had no idea they were in danger while they slept. But before the flood could reach them, God sent an “angel” to save them.
Let us pray for the Eliashar family as they rebuild their lives and for everyone affected by these terrible floods.
WATCH: Texas Man Saves Family Moments Before Flood Sweeps Away Home
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