At 3:00 a.m., my mind isn’t functioning at the top of its game.
When I rolled out of bed in response to my doggy’s summons, I stumbled into the hallway and hit the light switch. Nothing. Must be burned out. It wasn’t until I’d felt my way down the stairs that it occurred to me that all six lights on the fixture couldn’t be burned out. The power was out.
I keep a flashlight in a drawer in the living room for just such a calamity, so I turned it on and let Cinnamon out the back door. As I crawled back in bed, I thought, “I hope they get this fixed before morning.” They didn’t.
When my alarm went off, I faced reality–the power was still off, and my blow dryer wouldn’t work. This was a crisis.
I showered in the dark and attempted to fix my hair. The result was flat and hanging in my eyes and I wondered if anyone would notice if I wore a bag on my head on the train. Lunch took precious extra minutes to create as I longed for a third arm to hold the flashlight. Worst by far was the lack of coffee. I stood staring at the barbecue, wondering if I could heat some up on there. If I’d had just a few more minutes–
The spiritual application is obvious. It’s possible to survive and cope without light and power, but it’s not comfortable.
God knew that.
From the moment He made us, He desired communication and fellowship with us. Adam and Eve walked and talked with Him daily until they blew it. The Old Testament is full of man’s attempts to cope with the gap that sin left between us and God. Then God sent Jesus to be our Saviour, our Friend, our Light, so that close communication with God was possible again. Many years ago, I opened my desperate heart to Him, and He has been my Power and Light ever since.
So why do I sometimes stumble around with a flashlight?
The truth is, I forget. Even with years of seeing His faithfulness in all kinds of situations, there are times when my default reactions of worry and fear take over. It annoys me that I can be praying about a situation one minute and find my mind wandering into the land of “what if” the next. Will I never learn? My Father is so patient, and when I despair, He reassures me.
“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil. 1:6
So today, Lord, I put the flashlight away in the drawer, and turn on the Light.