Photo by Steve Johnson
We recently had the worst storm that either Vicki or I could remember encountering. Wind and rain and massive damage in our neighborhood. Trees down. Some limbs hitting roofs. There was debris everywhere. It looked like the London Blitz. As I understand it, it was a sheer wind coming in sideways which happens on rare occasions.
We went to the basement and could hear everything that was happening. We lost power and were told that it would be out for three days. We were feeling a bit like Job. First, we had Covid 19, then the killing of George Lloyd, the looting, and we were thinking, “What else could occur?” And it did, a storm the likes of which we had not seen before. Since there were trees across our drive, there was no outside contact, no cell phone, TV, or internet.
My first thoughts were self-centered in the form of “woe is me”. I don’t know when it started., but quickly my attitude and prayer life changed to, “How did the people who have endured worst storms here in our nation and around the globe get though their challenges with the weather. Puerto Rica and Hurricane Katrina came first to mind. Then a change occurred in me to ask the more important question, “Why not me?” With change in attitude it changed the whole experience for me to how can I help and reached out to people in need with “real” problems”. It was empowering.
We spent more time than usual without power and in darkness. Something very profound happened. As I would enter darkened rooms, I would turn on the light switch. I did this for three days and began to feel stupid for doing this. We had water in our basement where I experienced the final stupid action. I plugged the wet vac into the outlet, and it didn’t turn on. My wife started to laugh hysterically. I realized then that we had no power.
This light switch issue provided me with one of the most important insights that I have seen in moving forward during difficult times. Keep in mind that Jesus taught, for the most part, in parables for attitudes and actions that were very important for him. They were words for us to live by.
I will tell you what I learned from this issue with the light switch in my next post. Could you write a parable using this story regarding what you feel to be essential in life?
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