November 5 – “Life goes on”

We talked to our contractor again today.  He affirmed what we were beginning to suspect.  The wood floors need to be ripped out so the slab can be cleaned and disinfected.  We also have to tear out the ceiling in the family room.  He wants his "Insulation Guy" to check out the rest of the house, but we may have to tear out the ceilings everywhere.  Chris says it feels like demo will never end.  When will we see some CONstruction?   We did have a bit of an "interlude of abnormal normalcy."  We brought back with us some gifts for Baby Cailyn.  So Nathan and April met us at the Galveston house, we set up chairs outside, and had an old-fashioned baby shower.  Well, we didn't play any silly games, but it was kind of silly enough just being there.  Christina even showed up with the boys on their way to the Aquarium at Moody Gardens.  I guess we sounded like we were having a great time, because one of the aid workers next door came over with his camera.  "Can I take a picture?  It's just that, well, uh, y'all … it's… life goes on in spite of all this and I want to catch it on film."   Life goes on.  Nathan and April's FEMA housing ends this weekend.  At this point they are planning to come stay with us in Omega.  They experienced some roller coaster emotions this week.  The frustration with FEMA and their inability to find another place to live was depressing at best.  Then the baby shower, with gifts from people they had never met (including, by the way, a gift from Beth Moore and her staff) brought a confusion that was exhilarating.  The most powerful gift of all came in a card one of the folks sent.  They included two Bible passages.  Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not more valuable than they?"  And Philippians 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  Life goes on.   Father, we know life goes on.  We have heard that people outside of Galveston think everything is fine here now.  We are old news.  Thank you for keeping up with us "old news-ers."  We need you more than ever now.  Amen.