Lights Out

"For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light." Ephesians 5:8

The timing was not good. I had just put a load of laundry in the wash, Joey was working on the computer trying to get some finance committee work done to present at a church meeting later in the evening, and my daughter Kaelie was due home from a weekend youth retreat with a big civics test to study for.

So, when the power went out in our house and our whole neighborhood at 2:45 p.m., we had a timing problem.

Fast forward to 5:45 p.m. and still no electricity. I called the power company and the lady I spoke with said it was looking like midnight before it would be restored. UGH, so much to do and it all required electricity!

Finally, Joey and Kaelie (now home from her retreat) left for the church, both to attend meetings. "No use sitting around here in a dark house that's getting colder," I told Hannah. So we picked up subs from Subway and went to the church as well. I kept thinking how good it was to be a part of a church family where we felt so at home that we could just go there and hang out with people while our power was out. Some people offered to let us go to their houses, but we were content to stay at the church and wait for Joey and Kaelie.

While we waited, I was able to help a man who was cleaning up the kitchen after a dinner that had been served ealier. Then I was able to help a young mom who had come in all alone to set up the fellowship hall for a meeting taking place the next morning. In both cases, I got to meet people from the church whom I had never met, and connect with them while doing something purposeful for the Lord.

When we finally made it home a little before 9:00 p.m., the power came on as I was in the process of lighting candles around the house. I was actually even a little disappointed because everything looked so pretty in the candlelight!

Today when I read this verse from Ephesians, it dawned on me that during those few hours of darkness in my house, God had been able to use me as light in his house. He showed me that the simple acts of helping clean the church kitchen and set up for a MOPS meeting helped to spread his light into the lives of others, and the things my family needed to do still got done as well.

Bad timing? Really? Nope, God's timing, and it is always perfect!