As I type this morning, our power was just restored after a 25 hour or more outage. It’s been very cold during this time with temperatures in the 30’s overnight.
When this all started overnight 25 hours ago, I made a decision to just stay asleep and hope for the best. I had the thought that I should get up and try to do something (Exactly what I would do? Who knows.) but instead I stayed in bed and tried to get some sleep because I knew the next day we would be busy. Upon waking in the morning, I discovered the power was still out, so I began to ask myself, “What does success look like this morning?” I was wondering how to wake my kids and get them ready for school joyfully when their entire routine would be upset. So, I made hot chocolate and fried bacon and held a candle in my hand as I woke each of them. I said with a joyful voice, “The power is out, but I made hot chocolate!” I maintained a very upbeat manor and they followed suit. We were ready and out the door at our regular time.
When I got home from dropping them off at school, I decided I should receive the gift of rest. So, I stayed in front of the fireplace and tried to relax. I’m not going to pretend I didn’t feel frustrated because I did, but what am I going to do about it? There was nothing I could do. So, I sat in front of the fire and rested. Honestly, life has been so busy lately, especially with Chris working out of state, that I enjoyed having the “permission” to not do anything. Then the power came on for almost an hour.
When it clicked back on I thought the saga was all over, I got ready for the day and then as I was about to leave for the basketball games in another town, the power went out again. Disappointment. But I realized that the hour respite was a gift from God, as I was able to open my garage to get my car out and I had a chance to warm the house up some and cool the fridge off too. Blessings can be found in any circumstance.
While at the games, I kept checking my phone for power updates…they kept promising it would be on at different times, but none of it happened. Because they assured us it would be fixed that evening, we made the decision to sleep at home. The kids were exhausted from the games and we didn’t even get home until after 11pm, so getting to sleep in the cold and quiet home wasn’t an issue. Another blessing.
The upstairs gets very warm when we have the fireplace going, so the kids were actually toasty overnight, I however slept downstairs in order to keep an eye on the fireplace. I slept on the floor in front of it so I could stay warm (The temperature difference between downstairs and upstairs can be drastic….there was a 10 degree difference in temperature between the two). When I woke at 4am, I had hit a wall. I immediately felt weepy when I realized we still had no power and I worried about all the food we might lose in the fridge and freezer. Then I found my peace again. Blessing.
I was up an hour praying and asking, and then that glorious sound of power being restored, rang in the air. Like a kiss from heaven the heater began to whirl, and the refrigerator began to cool. We made it. God covered us and we made it.
Then I heard God say, “It was always going to come to an end. You would never have been without power forever.” And suddenly I knew He was showing me something else. Friends, this Covid and election process has been so hard. We’ve faced more ups and downs than most of us have ever had. The world has felt like it’s spinning out of control, but guess what? It won’t last forever. Resolution will come. Covid will end. The election will be decided. Life will go on. Order will be restored.
I speak to those who are feeling lost in this lingering nighttime. We are not alone. God is ever-present and His promises are still true. He has never failed us yet, and He won’t start now. We are simply walking through a season of fire. But that season is not forever. I encourage you to find blessings in EVERY situation and in EVERY day. No matter what news comes, I encourage you to find the goodness that God brings to you through it. Find a way to make each day successful.
Take heart, our victory is closer than you think!! Don’t give up.
Prayer Moment: God, give me the courage and conviction to continue fighting the good fight. Lord, it’s so hard not to grow weary or discouraged, but I will continually put my hope in You. You are faithful. You are trustworthy. I will lean on You. I trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. Psalm 34:1
365 Days in the Presence 