I heard about a hurricane that might affect Asheville, but I didn’t think much about it.  We took down our patio umbrella and our hanging pots because we heard there would be strong winds, and we made sure everything was secured. It began raining on September 26^th and our basement began flooding. 

Michael’s woodworking workshop is downstairs in our unfinished basement, so we knew we had to bail out the water.  We used a small pump that didn’t do much good.  Finally, we used a wet-dry shop vacuum which helped.   We’re lucky to have a door that goes right outside so we emptied the vacuum out that door.  A neighbor came over and told us the water in her basement was over a foot deep.

We went to bed tired from our bailing.  The next day, Michael had to work and he works at home so we kept checking the basement.  At one point, we had to begin bailing again.  It wouldn’t stop raining and the wind was strong. 

It’s difficult to remember what happened next since it is a blur. A man had a machine that flushed out people’s basements and he flushed out our neighbor’s. We first lost our electricity and later lost cell phone service and finally water.  I figured it would be for a short time but I was wrong.  Our next-door neighbor had a gas stove and volunteered to cook for the neighborhood.  Many folks brought over things from their refrigerators that were going bad. 

It was a little like the stone soup parable where a man makes soup from a single stone. His friends bring food to add to the soup and they end up with a delicious dish.  Our story is different though because our neighbor had a lot of food herself.  We ate at her house by candlelight.  The number of folks varied but it was a good feeling getting to know each other.

Slowly we got the news that many parts of Asheville and the surrounding areas sustained great damage.  Shelters were opened for folks who lost their homes and for folks who could not live in their homes.  I felt fortunate that we sustained little damage outside a loss of power for five days.  We didn’t have cell service and found places in the city to make phone calls.  Eventually we got cell service back but even today – October15 – we don’t have water.

I’m not thanking God for our good luck because I don’t believe God had anything to do with it.  If God did, why did others lose their homes and even their lives?  No, I believe the power of God is evident in the relationships I made in the storm.  God’s Spirit is present in the tenacity of the people of Asheville and the surrounding areas.

Michael and I went to Kansas City to visit my family October 5^th – 11^th.  It was a long-planned trip and we were going to leave on October 9 but we loved the running water and flushing toilets so we stayed a couple more days.  People that could leave did and have yet to return. 

October 5^th was my 63^rd birthday.  It was fun being with my family and eating a chocolate peanut butter birthday cake. We visited my old church and went to the cider mill just outside Kansas City.  We returned on Friday the 11^th to spotty cell service and no water. 

I can’t help thinking about people in the world who live like this all the time.  For example, I woke this morning to my radio alarm which was playing a story on NPR.  It was about people in Gaza who had to leave their homes with nothing.  They don’t have water or food.  I know God is with the people as they struggle.  It doesn’t seem fair though.  Nothing about this seems fair.