A savage storm ripped through my community earlier this week uprooting trees, downing power lines and knocking more than 210 thousand people off power. We are one of those people. We did our due diligence, went out and bought bags and bags of ice to stuff the fridge, freezer and coolers with, but in the middle of summer four days without power has taken its toll on our food and now it must all be dumped in the trash.

The light being out isn’t so bad, we are campers so we have candles and flashlights and lanterns and oil lamps galore. We can walk around the house with relative ease. The ice cold showers – ehh – I’lol have to get back too you on that one. The biggest source of frustration besides the loss of food is the loss of internet connectivity and therefore, productivity.

These days, COVID has everyone working online – but what happens when the power goes out?

What happens when our power source disappears? What happens when there seems to be no end in sight and it could be ages before that power is restored? What happens when our battery is so low and we feel we are about to lose our service, our connection, our lifeline?

This whole experience has me rethinking the power grid, and contemplating the power structure of my life. I’m thankful that my strength comes not in alternating currents through a fragile metal line, but in the direct current of an all-powerful, ever present God.

While the plans I had made for myself may have changed this week because of the power outage, His plans for me haven’t. While the things I had stored away for myself and my family may have come to ruin, His abundant bounty has not. And, while there seems to be darkness all around me, He has given me light and shown me the way.

…God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1