Limping is Good for Us
I had a whole different blog post I was going to write for today, but sometimes life just sort of takes you out at the knees.
Last night, our power went out. It was rather unexpected, no storms were in the area. Just a few clouds. The family was watching Stargate SG-1, and right about at the climax of the episode… everything went blank.
We sat there waiting, usually things like this just flicker and then come back on. But time passed and no power returned. Using my cell phone, I went on our neighborhood’s facebook page to see if we were the only ones experiencing this phenomenon.
Turns out that a car had run into a power line pole down the road and took out the grid for the entire neighborhood.
Thus began an evening that looked very different from what our “normal” is. One of the cars was parked out on the driveway, so we decided to take the family for a drive. We saw the aftermath of the accident as we were leaving our neighborhood, prayed for the people involved, and decided to head over to church to use their working indoor plumbing.
We spent a couple of hours out and about, and I periodically checked our neighborhood’s facebook site to see if/when the power would come back on. We watched several Bluey episodes as a family, and then finally headed back home.
Interestingly enough, our two oldest girls had just one week prior gone on a camping/canoe trip with their youth group where they learned all about roughing it… rather more roughing it than they had ever experienced… so they taught their little brothers how to brush our teeth with water from water bottles rather than from the spigot. We used our high-powered flashlights (recent gifts from Grandma Nan and Grampa Jim) to charge up their glow-in-the-dark stars the kids have stuck all over their walls and ceilings and bunk beds, opened the windows and thanked the Lord that it was 63 degrees outside and not 90, and then I sat down to write about our adventure on my fully charged laptop… and truly and honestly count up all my blessings.
Blessed
that we have things like a neighborhood facebook page and neighbors who are so caring and kind to post updates when things like this happen
that my dad gifted us these awesome flashlights a few weeks ago
that my laptop was fully charged before the power went out
that our car was parked outside the garage so we could go for a drive
that we have an awesome church
for cell phone data/hotspots that allow us to remain connected even when the power is out
that I recently changed the batteries in the outdoor lantern so we can leave it in the hallway
that we have glow-in-the-dark stars all over the kids’ rooms so my 6 year old isn’t scared without his nightlight
that it isn’t hot outside, so opening the windows is a viable option for not overheating and getting stuffy inside the house
that we are all together and healthy (or at least getting over colds at the worst)
that we have bottled water left over from the 4th of July picnic
that the girls spent a couple of days truly roughing it last week and this is barely affecting them
for good attitudes from everyone
that we have a generator we can hook up to the house if the power doesn’t come back on soon and help keep the food in the fridge/freezer from going bad
and probably so many more things I can’t even count!
And it’s even double blessings for me, because I’ve been feeling a little down this past week or so. I got hit with a cold/pinkeye last weekend and it’s been kind of a slow recovery and I’ve been tired and overwhelmed at the idea of all the things starting up again (as they tend to do come August/September every year) and feeling a little bit like I can’t quite get up the energy/enthusiasm about some of those things, and worrying that the Steal the Morrow book launch isn’t getting the effort and input it deserves and that it’s going to flop….
But Sunday morning, our pastor taught about the night that Jacob wrestled with God, and how he walked away from that contest with a permanent limp. At one point in the sermon our pastor said: “limping is good for believers, that’s a book title wouldn’t sell even 10 copies.” And yet, how true is it? When we come to the end of all we can do, of all our own efforts and energies, and when we fall out of our own strength, that is when we are forced to fully rely on God and let Him do the work. That Jacob had done everything he could think of to scheme his way into a favorable reunion with his brother Esau (who had every right to be murderously angry with him) and finally had to just let go and let God be his strength.
And how timely was that lesson? I really needed to hear it… and of course… I didn’t really understand or realize how much I needed to hear it, until the power went out and made me just stop. Made me sit down to write this blog post. Made me count up my blessings and the things I have to be grateful for.
So here I am… giving the coming school year, the cross country season, the starting up of BLAST and any teaching I might do for that, the Silmaril Awards, and the Steal the Morrow book launch into God’s strong and capable hands.
I may not have this all figured out. I may not have the energy to stay on top of all of it. I may not be big enough to hold it all and make it run smoothly.
But that’s okay.
Because my God is more than big enough to hold it all.
And that is good. So today, I’m resting in Him. I’ll bring my small loaves and fish forward, but leave them in His hands… I can’t wait to see what He does with them!