Weathering the Storm

Meet our friends, Karen and Barney Giesen. They live in Houston.

When we heard Rita was winding up to demolish Galveston and then smack into Houston, naturally we were concerned. One of our favorite ways to spend a weekend is to make the four-hour drive to the Giesens' place. There we enjoy sweet fellowship as we create enormous ice cream sundaes, make up our own torpedo-in-the-pool games, and hear about the latest books their neighborhood club is discussing.

The first time we visited the Giesens, Alexandra, our ten-year-old, announced that she wanted to go by “Alexandra Victoria.” As if one four-syllable name weren’t enough, she wanted to expand it to eight? Like any sensible mother, I said, “no.”

The Giesens asked, “Why not?”

They had a point. Indeed, why not?

And so it was. At their church, our daughter is known to those she has met as “Alexandra Victoria.” She generally shows up there with blue-sparkle nails that Karen has freshly painted as they've sat together poolside.

Karen and Barney have a little cottage adjacent to their house, which they have named The Eclectic Reindeer. Many Dallas Seminary professors who fly down to teach at the school’s Houston extension are well acquainted with the Giesens’ hospitality, which often includes free lodging.

On our last trip to see them, we took a picnic lunch to Galveston island. We flew kites, dug our toes in the sand, and threw bread in the air to feed diving sea gulls.

On many levels, we love these people. We all love these people. You know how sometimes you meet a couple and you might really like a wife, but her husband is a bit dull? Or you might totally enjoy the husband, but his wife is too uptight? Or as a couple you might like them, but they don't care for kids? The Giesens are one of those couples where every member of our family loves and feels loved by both.

So we offered the Giesens our hide-a-bed while they waited out the storm. The thought of them staying put scared us a bit. But stay they did.

A few days passed, and Rita rolled closer. Then yesterday morning, as Rita churned within 100 miles of Houston, we received a message from Karen and Barney saying they had prepared themselves to ride out the storm in Houston. Karen provided the details:

“We have battened down a jillion loose potential missiles (wall clock, wind chimes, bird feeders and baths, flower pots, lights, and such from our back yard). Barney took several loads of stuff—signs, trash cans, plants, BBQ grills—to the garage of a vacant house we own a few blocks from here. Our patio furniture is all now intentionally at the bottom of our pool.”

I had to think about that one for a bit. I guess it is better if one’s patio furniture doesn’t come sailing through the glass, eh?

She went on: “We have boarded windows and doors as much as we had material for. Outside, the biggest challenge was six potted ten-foot trees we recently bought for 70 percent off from Houston Garden Center, planning to plant them when it gets cooler. They are now lying flat on the side of the house. Barney will lower the pool water level as recommended.

“Inside the house, we have moved things away from windows and taken the fragile things off the walls. The biggest project inside was taking three large glass cases (each 16 x 14 x 4 feet) full of breakables out of the kitchen window.

“We are very tired (especially Barney who has worked much harder than I) and braced to be hot if we lose power and A/C.

“But even though we are on Houston’s southeast side and much closer to the Gulf than many, we are not in any projected storm surge or flood plane. We are near Braes Bayou but on a hill. Our house did not flood in Allison four years ago, though about a dozen in the neighborhood did. But every storm is different.

“We plan to sleep tonight on the ground floor of our garage apartment, The Eclectic Reindeer. That room has no windows, and we have boarded up the two glass front doors. We have plenty of food and water and cards to play Canasta.

“The wind is picking up now, so we are about to disconnect communications and settle into the little house. We’ll answer the phones as long as they work.”

At that I e-mailed and thanked them for the update. When we saw it was taking people four hours to travel one mile on the road from Houston to Dallas (you could walk faster than that!), we were glad the Giesens had chosen to stay where they were.

Karen quickly replied. “In some haste I left out the brighter side," she said. "With Barney there is always a bright side.

“Last night, Thursday, after it was too dark to work anymore, we got into our bathing suits and sat in our lawn chairs in our swimming pool and giggled about how much fun it is to ‘grow old together.’ Then, since we had nothing sweet in the house and the stores are all closed, I baked cookies for Barney. More giggles.

"I think some studies of closeness in families who camp together concluded that it was the tough crazy events that happen during camping that precipitate the lasting bond. That may be what’s happening here.

"So I want you to know it is fun to weather a storm together. We have Cokes and limes."

Do we have the coolest friends, or what?

First thing this morning, I had an email from them saying they were fine.

And us? Friends the world over have written to ask how we are and to assure us of their prayers. So allow me to give you a slice of our lives today. As I write this, the first drops of rain have begun to fall. The bushes closest to the house scatch hard against the windows, and the walls are creaking a bit. But we expect the winds to stay below forty miles per hour. The greatest suffering we have endured is hay fever.

Earlier tonight our little family--Gary, me, and, yes, Alexandra Victoria, rode home from celebrating Gary’s mom's 75th birthday. We couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the sky. To the east, where greater trouble lies, the sky was a deep blue gray. But to the west, the gilded clouds against a blue backdrop looked like quick strokes from an artist's brush.

Thanks to those who have asked and prayed. We are mindful of these words from Psalm 107:

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the LORD
for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.

All is well. And we've been reminded of wisdom from our friends: Difficulty can strengthen bonds; it can be fun to weather a storm; how good it is to "grow old" together.

P.S. When Barney emailed the attached picture, he noted, "The anaconda in the pool with us is just about to get us from behind."

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