When the Electricity Goes Off
August 2, 2012
I just stepped out of the shower and had half my eye makeup on when the power went out. When it did not come back on quickly I pondered my next course of action. Both of my jobs and my search for a future mate are internet dependent. Without power there was no internet which gave me the perfect excuse for not working at my job. It is God’s moment of blessing as I sit in perfect stillness, a sacred silence. The light illuminates over my shoulder as I sit in my rocking chair and open my journal to record some thoughts. Sunday brought a new direction and hope. I spent the day with a special group of people who are my spiritual family. The prayers offered and God’s infinite power struck me profoundly as person after person told of the miraculous events of their week.
I had not heard from God in a while. In fact I was no longer sure I even knew when God was speaking. Enough events had transpired in my life of late to make me realize I did not have the direct line on Good God Communication like I thought. Perhaps all my great adventures were not really divinely inspired after all. Perhaps I had gone off half-cocked putting God’s blessing on each caper all without even asking for permission. It had occurred to me that maybe He was just trying to keep up with me all the while letting me stumble while rescuing me as necessary. I had a lot to think about.
It has been pointed out to me lately by not one but many, that I seem to be picking and choosing the commands of God I wish to follow. I justified my actions as “in this day and age, you can’t do that…” I have been assaulted lately from every direction with the message of obedience. I am at a crossroads and those closest to me are feeding me with every sort of food for thought. Pastor Gary was not as subtle as the others. He delivered an arm full of books with titles like, “Knowing and Doing the Will of God,” “The Me I Want to Be,” “Restoring Broken Things.” David, my friend and acclaimed family therapist cut to the chase and analyzed the obsessions, compulsions, all the extreme entrepreneurial adventures and suggested a rest for my weary soul (and a good neuropsychologist wouldn’t hurt either. ) My dear writer friend Cathee Poulsen simply gave me a good old fashioned “ass whoopin.” So before God I stand this morning in golden silence with no distraction between Him and me and I know I want His best great plan for my life and not my second best effort grasping at momentary distraction.
Obedience is doing what is commanded. I need to obey what I already know to be God’s will because it is clearly written in His word. You can’t start your day saying you are good in 7 out of 8 categories and in #8 you fall down, but you justify it as God knows you are not perfect and will forgive you. It just does not work that way. This attitude is called disobedience and it is costly. God is interested in developing my character and redirecting my raw material toward the great purpose for which He created me. What I give up in pursuits of the flesh will be traded for the really big gifts God has in store. I will be anointed with the many blessings God had planned all along.
Are you waiting on God? Maybe it is taking so long because He is waiting on you. Once I made that first concrete step toward obedience, He acted swiftly. He just loves to bestow blessings when we follow Him.
At that moment I saw clearly a hope and a future and a way to turn my dysfunctions into gifts of blessing to others. I wanted to race off to call Pastor Gary to have him help me with a plan to bring about what was now clear in my mind. There was an unmistakable voice in my head that said “Daughter, I will bring it to you.” Whoa…of course He would. He then went on to add“silly girl, it is my job to bring it to you when the time is right. Wait on me until I think you are ready.”
I then prayed for the electricity to stay off just a little while longer.