Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles

God heard my heart today and gave me the most incredible blessings all day long. But one, in particular, was priceless.

When the phone rang, I answered it "This is Dee" as I’ve been saying since I’m at my mom’s house.

The most wonderful voice I ever could have heard answered cheerily, "Hey! It’s me!!"

Tom called!!

Because they have the big generator powering the paper they were able to charge some cell phones and although cell phone service is "very sporadic" and limited, he said, he was able to get through to me.

Even better (for me), their phone system is functioning as far as all calls coming in, although they cannot call out, so I can call him whenever I have a real need or necessary information to give him.

I am estatic!

I know – how can I be so bubbly and overflowing with joy at such a small thing as a telephone call when all else is chaos and calamity.

Well, the kind of joy I am experiencing is the kind that only God dispenses and so amazingly gives in the midst such tragedies to individuals, one at a time.

Mine is but one tiny story of one family’s ordeal in the vast sea of despair.

However, looking at the bigger picture, help finally began to arrive in New Orleans, relief conveys and national guard arrived in Hattiesburg, Picayune and places on the coast.

While the town of Picayune (pop. 12,000) suffered extensive damage and debris, the town itself and most buildings are intact (although a tornado also came through the south part of town during the worst of the storm) and Tom said the water treatment facilities and sewage treatment facilities are operating on big generators for the residents and all of the relief personnel who have come and will be coming.

They got word today that Picayune will be a priority for obtaining power because it is the furtherest south and closest big town that is that relatively intact before entering Slidell, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast from the west.

Even so it will probably be weeks and weeks that all of the residents will be without power, food, fuel, AC and other "necessities" of life. (I hesitate to put AC, but you have seen how debilitating and deathly the humid heat can be.)

More good news.

Tom has been to the house and we have no exterior structural or even wind damage, despite 150 mph winds!!!

Our next door neighbor said that water came up on our little corner of the neighborhood to the doorway of his house (and ours), but did not rise any further or seep in anywhere.

I worried so about the three 60 foot pine trees in the front yard breaking in half and demolishing the roof, as they are very prone to do, but they were fine.

Only my favorite hardwood outside our kitchen/breakfast area window fell over on the house and it did not penetrate or damage the roof.

Our only problems, as far as he knows right now, are that water blew in under the west facing front door and left water on the tile foyer floor to mop up, the commodes all backed up and overflowed onto the tile floors and little rugs from the copious amounts of wind driven rain and the AC drain pipe overflowed some onto the bedroom carpet next to the hall AC unit.

Tom’s sister’s house, which is only three blocks from ours, is fine, as well. No damage except to the soffet and fascia on the corner of the garage where the neighbor’s pine tree broke in half and hit it.

Debbie is (ironically, although not related to me at all, except by marriage) diabetic and on an insulin pump like I am, so has been under much distress not knowing of their house. But she was able to call and get through to Tom this afternoon, too, from South Carolina where she fled.

I could tell you of several more "little" good things, but you would only be bored. So I will leave you with the above minute glimpses of the kinds of things we are thankful for this day.

Today was a turnaround day for me in several ways, although I know that it is not true for so many tens of thousands more all around me. I know that even my road ahead is long and painful.

All I said this morning about missing Tom is even more true tonight and will get worse every passing moment until we are together again.

But I will sleep a little better tonight. And God will send me even more little blessings tomorrow. I know not yet what they will be, but they will come.