Let there be Electricity?

The electricity went out sometime Saturday afternoon-ish. I always love it when the electricity goes out. It's something new, refreshing, different. I guess in my mind i view a family coming together during this time because there is nothing else you can do... why? because NOTHING works.

There are no excuses when a storm is passing through. You can't go outside because of the weather. You can't get on the internet, watch tv, etc etc etc. I see a family sitting on the floor, playing games, telling stories from childhood, sharing experiences, loving on each other... with the candles flickering all around the room. Mmmm, so warm!

It was a little over 24 hours that we were without electricity. But it never seems to amaze me how much we can find to complain over. We have evacuees staying in the civic center, in church gyms, all over the places... they don't even know if their homes are still there... yet we are complaining about not having electricity and our food in the fridge going bad. Seriously?

I hope in the future whenever i have a family of my own moments like these will be cherished. That they will remind us of the truly important things in life. Family, God, Relationships. They will bring us even closer together as a family. It's times when the electricty goes out that you step back to dwell on God and all that He has blessed you with.

I was reading this Saturday morning before we lost power.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:14-18

I thought about that for the rest of the day. Sleeping with all the windows open. Waking up all through out the night to hear crickets chirping and the trees moving in the breeze. Dwelling on God's creation.

It's never just a storm for the Lord. He always has a bigger plan. Maybe it's to get families closer together. Maybe it's to bring the party on the lawn into the house so that you have no where to escape to - you spark up a conversation with your lost friend and lead him to Christ. Maybe it's to bring the lost evacuees to a place where they will hopefully see Christ in how you live, react, etc.

Thank you Lord for all that we are blessed with. Thank you for the sun, moon, and stars. Thank you for Your beautiful creation. We are so blessed beyond what we ever deserve. Thank you for moments when we are forced to stop and dwell on all that You are, and all that You've made. May we never forget the important things... engrave them on our hearts. I love you.