The Light is Gone

We’ve had quite a few windstorms this year, big ones. To make matters worse, I’m pretty sure I live in a wind tunnel. The wind is always stronger right around my house and since we live away from town, we tend to lose power quickly and get it back slowly.

Today is one of those no-power days. It’s a very strange feeling sitting here in the dark, not knowing what is going on in the world around me. I also had big plans for today and those have all been ruined.

Electricity is one of the things I take for granted, plus I am forgetful, so my day goes like this:

It’s freezing in here. I think I’ll make a cup of tea. No, Ann, you won’t. Fine, I’ll just have some yogurt. Nope, you need to keep the fridge closed. OK, I’ll wrap gifts. In the pitch dark? I could visit with friends. How? Your phone doesn’t work.

You get the idea.

So, right now I am sitting in my chair with a sad little candle burning, typing on my computer until the battery dies, and I have no way to charge it. Oh, and feeling rather sorry for myself.

It occurs to me that a life lived without light would be a very sad existence.

This thought has entered my mind many times, even without a power outage to remind me. My family has been through some huge challenges this year and there were so many times that we were paddling as fast as we could and were barely keeping our heads afloat. We would look at each other and ask, “How do people do this without faith in Christ?” Even with faith, we were exhausted and wondered if we could hold on.

Knowing as we do, that to accept God’s love and the saving grace of his son, Jesus Christ, is so very easy, it is baffling why so many people choose to “go it alone”. It would be so lovely to give them a taste of what it feels like to have light in their lives, to know what it feels like to suddenly be saved from living in darkness.

Free will is a funny thing, isn’t it? It sounds lovely, but I know there are so many times that I, with my free will, choose things that are not in my best interest and certainly do not glorify God. I suppose it is the same with those who refuse to acknowledge Him. A free will choice is what God requires and yet so many choose darkness instead.

How many times do I choose darkness over light even though I know better? How often have I allowed a windstorm to extinguish the power?

I need to work on my own transformers to keep things running smoothly. Unlike the people who are working to restore my power, I get to stay in from the elements. All I have to do is dive into the precious Word and spend some time in peace, learning and prayer.

That reminder stops me from feeling sorry for myself and I switch from being hungry, cold, angry, sad, and bored to being illuminated in ways that can never be extinguished by a windstorm.