I actually prayed for rain yesterday – really I did!  It has been SO dry; our grass is just sitting there dying, and with a plethora of wedding bills, there is no way we are going to water the lawn right now.  The last time we tried that, our son Paul was doing us a favor by taking care of the lawn while we were gone on vacation; when we got back, we had a $100 water bill!  We put a stop to that right quick!  But it has been SO dry recently, on my way home from church yesterday, I just prayed, “Lord, I know there is not supposed to be much of a chance of rain tonight, but if it is Your will, I just pray that You would let it rain here; we really need it.”  Now, I am NOT claiming that I brought that rain last night (what is that old expression: “even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every so often”?) but I was SO happy to hear those thunderclaps in the middle of the night.  I always love storms anyway!  “There is beauty in the bellow of a blast; there is grandeur in the growling of a gale …” goes the old Gilbert & Sullivan song — but I digress … I greatly enjoyed listening to the thunder during the night, even though it did not make for the best night’s sleep – especially since I had stayed up too late reading in the first place!   

So this morning, when I rolled over, more than just a bit groggy, to see what time it was, I saw only a blank face on my digital clock … ooops, my beloved storm had a cost: the power is out!  All of the sudden, I started making a mental list of all of the things at home and at church that were not going to work because we didn’t have any electricity: 

–Hot water heater: electric – that means no bath or shower

–mechanical system: electric – we cannot dispose of any water regardless of temperature

–oven and microwave: electric – no hot breakfast

–refrigerator: electric – and we cannot open it, lest we let what cold air is in there, out, so no cold breakfast either! 

It was going to be nigh impossible to get ready to go to the office at church.  But then again, why go to the office?  Nothing there was going to work without electricity, either: the phone, my computer, the internet, the e-mail server, etc., etc.  And someone had said that the power might not be restored until possibly late afternoon! 

It is a somewhat disturbing experience to realize how dependent we are upon electricity, and the many conveniences we take for granted, which can all be taken away in a moment’s time. I do not like that helpless, dependent feeling.  So I began to pontificate –Cheryl was my unfortunate audience! —  we need to make a list of all the things we should have on hand, just for occasions like this.  What all do we need?  We should not be held hostage like this again; we need to be prepared!  What about one of those wind generators you can have installed, that makes your own electricity?  Let’s make a list and really get ready for the next time …

Then all of the sudden … the power came back on!  Pontifications and plans were quickly forgotten … I’m going to get ready and go to the office, and type my sermon on my computer, and answer e-mails, and talk on the phone; all is right with the world now! 

Or is it?   

Hmmm … I wonder if there is not a spiritual lesson here somewhere?