Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Let There Be Light!

It's something we all take for granted
Something we rarely even think about
It's something we barely even notice
Until we have to go without

Without it, your food will spoil
Your normal tasks become a toil
In darkness you grasp at things
You're hopeless without it's means

I could go on and on, but this is just a little "freestyle" intro to the surprise that awaited me when my family and I returned from my daughter's softball game this evening. Our house was nearly dark; all the lights were out. "What happened?" I exclaimed. "I know I paid that bill!" I called my neighbor who lives a few doors down, and interestingly, she still had power. I peered out of my window and noticed the street lights were still on, and the neighborhood pretty much looked undisturbed. WITW? Am I the only one who was affected by this sudden outage? I wondered.

After an immediate call to the power company, I settled in the family room with my children and some scented, lit candles, a flashlight and said a prayer. Geesh, Lord, really? I have an assignment that is due tonight, and I really need my computer. Tonight of all nights, why did the power have to go out? I thought to myself.

Not long after, the power company pulled onto my street with two oversized trucks and several workers. "They're here, they're here!" my four-year old cheered. He doesn't know much about lights and electricity or their functions, but he knew these guys looked like they could fix our problem. This got me to thinking about how many things we take for granted. I mean, who really appreciates having electricity until you don't have it? You go into the bedroom, flip the light on, never thinking to yourself, "What if this light doesn't come on." We need electricity. I mean, really, really need it. Thank God for the utility workers!

This brings me to my final thought (sorry, nothing profound this time!). How often do we take the time to appreciate the men and women who work tirelessly (in the middle of the night even) to ensure our comforts? As we watched out of a bedroom window the men working quickly and carefully, I thought of how they risk their lives every day so we can have light. My heart was tenderized to their sacrifice. So after they finished working (hey, I needed to make sure they did the job right!), I ran outside and yelled, "Thank you, thank you!" over the loud humdrum of their trucks.

A simple "You're welcome" was all they said. But I knew in my heart, they walked a little taller tonight knowing they had restored light to a family in need. So the next time you flip a switch, open a nice cold can of soda or take a hot shower, how about saying a little prayer of thanks for all the little things we take for granted. Let there be light! And there was light.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Away From the Noise

My, my, it's been a long time since I've blogged! My busy life and hectic schedule have been the main culprits, but there is also something else. I have allowed myself to be caught up in the busyness of life, straining for bits and pieces of quietness from the noise. I am a writer who needs total peace and quiet in order to let the creative juices flow from my head and through my fingers to the keys on my computer. With four kids and a dog, you can see how this can be somewhat impossible.

In my morning time with God today, however, I was reminded that quietness is not only good for my own personal writing time, but quietness is absolutely essential if we are to truly connect with God's Spirit and hear from Him. He speaks in a "still, small voice" (I Kings 19:12).

"When you approach me in stillness and trust, you are strengthened. You need a buffer zone of silence around you in order to focus on things that are unseen," writes Sarah Young of Jesus Calling. How true is that! In this life, we are constantly bombarded by noise! TV, radio, unwanted advertisements online, hollering children, airplanes flying overhead, phone calls, you name it. We have become so accustomed to the noise, that the stillness can be deafening, uncomfortable and irritable.

How clever the enemy is! If he can keep us distracted by the noise (and yes, even church can be a very noisy place), he can keep us from hearing the still, small voice of our Father. How about every morning, before we begin our day and before we lay our requests on God, we begin with a few minutes of simple silence. Concentrate on trying to hear His voice for He speaks to those who have ears to hear.

God bless you! I'm excited to hear what God has shared with you in your own quiet time.
Dana Che