This morning I awoke to hear a flock of geese overhead. I hear them all the time now since the storm. I wonder if they were always here, and I just never noticed, or if they came in after Katrina blew in. I don't really know which is true, but I do know that I am grateful I can hear them now. The girls and I like to listen to them flying over. They call to each other for encouragement as they fly... I have heard an interesting story about geese, but I won't attempt to retell it. This website does a much better job.
Still, knowing the story about how geese fly in formation and how they call to each other always makes me pause for a moment and realize that God is offering me the same help and encouragement if I only listen.
Speaking of great encouragers, my friend, Lib, moved to Atlanta only two months before Katrina hit. Talk about your survivors guilt! She really had a rough time after the storm. She called me all the time just to touch base and be supportive. Still, in some ways, emotionally, I felt worse for her than I did for myself. We were in the midst of cleaning up and doing whatever thing presented itself next. Lib could do nothing but worry about (and pray for) her friends and loved ones and watch horrific stories on the news. I believe she honestly felt a sense of guilt for not being here with us. She is constantly trying to get my husband and I to come up for a little break, just for nurturing and support. And, I promise that one of these weekends, I am going to do just that... How could I pass up Lib AND the IKEA store all in one fabulous place?
Everything about the hurricane has made me accutely aware of God's personal intervention and caring in our lives when we look to Divine Guidance. Lib is the wife of a minister. Her husband, Chuck, moved to Atlanta to minister within a much larger congregation. After the storm, Chuck and several other ministers and friends came down to help support people on the Gulf Coast. They helped with rebuilding efforts, just as other faith-based groups have since the storm. Lib never told me this, but I have heard through others in our small community that Chuck's new church helped financially support the Pascagoula Church that was severely damaged. When I heard this, I knew that God had orchestrated help and protection for the Pascagoula Church in a way that seemed less than desirable to many people when they announced they were moving to Atlanta. We were all thinking about ourselves... About how much we would miss them. Chuck and Lib both touched so many in our community. But, when I put my own feelings aside about missing my dear friend, I can so clearly see that the move was exactly what needed to happen for God to work through them to help us and uplift us in a way that we so desperately needed after Katrina.
The thing that I love most about Lib is her sense of humor and storytelling. Lib loves to garden, and I promise you never knew gardening could be humorous until you have listened to Lib spin a tale about it. She heard from someone that all of the azaleas had been destroyed in the storm. So, the pictures above are for Lib. My yard was more beautiful than ever this year. Seeing my yard in full bloom was another little reminder that God is present, bringing hope and resurrection to all of us.
A little news about the girls... Sarah was hospitalized on March 1st and placed on I.V. antibiotics again. We came home after 3 days in the hospital and finished the I.V. course at home. Danielle was also showing signs of infection, but she was treated with oral antibiotics that have helped restore her good health. And, both girls are doing beautfully since I have thrown them out of the house! Sarah's line had only been out for two days when she began complaining of back pain again. The girls have not been present when the walls are being sanded, but we are sleeping upstairs, so they would come back in after the sanding was finished for the day. The residual dust had to be the irritant that made them sick. Fortunately, mom and J.R. live next door and their house is almost complete. Their walls have been finished for a long time and they even have furniture. So, the girls have taken up residence with them until we finish the walls and clean all the dust out of the house. Neither one of them really like being banned from the house and I don't exactly like having to shuttle things back and forth across the yard, but we do what we have to do. They are handling the displacement relatively well. I'm sure, in many ways, Mimi's house is just as good, or better, than home.
Danielle is going with Mimi and Papa (Mom and J.R.) to Italy on May 29th. That has been another blessing that Hurricane Katrina brought. When Dan was living with her dad in Birmingham, she went to school up there. Her history class began planning a trip to Italy over the summer. We asked if she could participate even though she would not be finishing out the year there. Mr. Stack, her teacher, was thrilled to have her participating. He has even conducted fundraisers on her behalf to help defray the cost of the trip. So, we are so excited about the opportunity for Dan to travel abroad. Dr. Sindel, the CF doc, recommends doing a voluntary I.V. antibiotics tune-up before she leaves. So, our next visit to CF clinic will be in preparation for being out of the country. It is so exciting!
Sarah also mentioned off-handedly that she wanted to go to Jamaica. Well, after pausing to reflect, Dave and I thought, "You know? Vacation in a tropical paradise doesn't sound like a crazy idea right now." So, we are looking into going to one of the U.S. Virgin Islands this summer, too. Summertime is considered "off season" so the cost isn't so prohibitive. Sarah and I have had great fun searching the web for pictures and looking at the absolutely magnificent villas that are available.
We were so blessed this week to have friends from Unity Village and places beyond, visiting with us. We attended church on Wednesday and were served dinner after being led in a wonderful Yoga class. The girls and I enjoyed it immensely. Our church friends also helped some more with the sanding and we are now a little closer to completion. Every bit of help, every bit of love has brought us a little closer to restoring our home. Most of our help has been through faith-based organizations. Perhaps there is a message in that as well. According to our faith, it is done unto us. The wonderful thing about this faith in action is that it hasn't come with denominations or dogmatic pronouncements, it has come with simple love. Brothers and sisters helping and loving one another... We are truly blessed to be in the midst of such a miracle.
I have certainly prattled on enough. For this week, I hope that you hear the geese honking and watch the azaleas bloom. I hope that you experience, as I have, the spirit of Christ in action in your life. ~Namaste~
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