Try to imagine, if you can, a day without electricity. I know from personal experience when electricity went out in Phoenix (which wasn’t very often and usually only after a major storm) it would be back on within a very short time.
This past Thursday the electricity went off around 10am and was off all day until around 5pm. I realized it didn’t affect me too much: the weather is nice so I didn’t have any hot/cold issues, I was able to complete updating our photo gallery before my computer battery went dead, my phone was charged (and I really don’t use it much except for Facebook) and my iPod got me through the day. (It was a mad dash though at 5 to get everything plugged in and charged!)
Even though Thursday’s slow day wasn’t too much of an inconvenience, going without electricity for an extended time period (like during our last trip we were out for a couple weeks) would be a major life adjustment and many families around us have never had electricity so an outage is just another day. I think sometimes the Lord turns off the electricity (or stops the water, or allows us to get sick) in order for us to be reminded of where our reliance should be…”If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” These “slow” times remind me to not only pray for God’s providence (no not just electricty but our every day needs as well) but to thank Him for what He has provided: a roof over our head, clean water to drink, food on the table and the relationship He encourages in me. And when we are blessed with those basic of needs to remember that others are still in need. I certainly fall short, often, on my gratitude meter and as I sit here watching the pre-unit (kindergarten) students taking their morning porridge I thank God He has provided for them, and me, today.