Power

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy nameBless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgives all your iniquity, and who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

This was the Psalm for this morning as I am still reading Psalm a day. This morning was a morning where you just wonder what on earth am I doing here? Would this morning be better in the states? I am living in a place where the power goes out often, but today was most inconvenient while I am cooking breakfast and waking up boys who need a shower (if you have boys, then you know that a shower is a necessity). As a mom everyone has had these mornings where nothing seems to go right - you move from emotions of frustration, anxiety, fear, and relief. Let me set the stage. My alarm goes off at 5:45. I jump up to get dressed, so I can be ready to go for the all-day event of getting my Ethiopian driver's license as soon as the boys leave. As I wake up, I anxiously check my messages to see if our friends have received COVID test results. If they are positive then we all have to quarantine since we were with them the entire day before symptoms appeared (not to mention the implications for my friend and her family). I rush downstairs to begin to make waffles and turn on my beloved coffee pot. The only thing my oldest will eat for breakfast here is waffles and of course, I need to make fresh ones today. Ding, I get her text, Praise the Lord, they are negative. So, all on go for school. Whew. Next, as I pour my first batch of waffles into the waffle makers (yes, I have two. It was taking me like 2 hours to make waffles since our old waffle maker was American plug and cooked so slow). I then pour my first cup of coffee, the power goes out. I am thinking to myself, is the waffle maker hot enough to cook the waffles? And thank you Jesus that my coffee was done before the power went out. So then I dread running back upstairs to wake everybody up knowing nobody will be happy to hear the power is out. Showers are no fun without power. We have enough hot water left in the electric boiler for a quick shower, but the water pump is electric so that means there is no water pressure. Waking up on Mondays isn’t the most fun thing anyway, much less on a cloudy morning with no power.

As they roll out of their beds, they all groan and ask if we can turn on the generator. So, a generator is most helpful. Turning it on is a process, and we really don’t need it unless it is nighttime or the power is out for a long time period to run our refrigerator. I come downstairs to see the waffles are still not done and a mess in the waffle maker. The cat is meowing and climbing on my feet because he doesn't like the food in his bowl. I don’t have time for a picky cat. I decide we need our power on to get us to school. I begin the tedious process of turning things off to get the generator on. I turn off the hot water boilers because the generator can only handle so much. I have to stand on a stool to reach the switch. Then crash. The step stool collapses under my feet. It is completely flat. I thought I had lost weight here, not gained any. Ugh. Being short can be so frustrating in a tall kitchen without a stool. Nothing seems to be working today. Steve turns on the generator to get everyone a little boost and finish cooking the waffles. The roar and sputter of an engine start and then an overwhelming amount of smoke comes from it. It bellows and spurts and we think, this seems to be more than usual. It runs on diesel gas so it smells terrible and now it is jumping and rocking and smoking. We flip the switch and nothing happens in the house. Still no power. We wait, still nothing. So we turned off the generator. No power. By this time it is about 10 minutes before the boys need to leave. I am still relying on my own power to get this morning going. And we are gathering our things for school, and today we are bringing some old shoes for a collection at school for people who are victims of the conflict in the north of Ethiopia. I am still running around gathering snacks, water bottles, sweatshirts, and masks. As I hand Daniel his bag of shoes, my sweet Daniel says, “ Mom, they really need some paper plates because all the people I see on the street are eating without plates.” And then he says, “They need lots of soap too”. He then starts walking around the house getting more things he thinks they need like flashlights and soap. I think he would have given them everything in our house. It was the kindest display of generosity. His heart was so genuine. I kept thinking Just Hurry!! But then I felt that still quiet voice nudge me, to recognize that this is more important. I say to Daniel that Jesus says that whatever you do for the least of these you have done unto ME. He and I finished gathering a few more things. In the midst of my frustrations to get everyone out the door with ruined waffles and no power and boys without showers, God was showing me one of the reasons why we are here answering my question that had been swirling in my head all morning. If my boys can have a heart to love Jesus and give to others generously and see the needs of others around them, then it is totally worth it. It is worth any convenience I may give up for them to grow to be men who follow Jesus. I know we can learn these lessons wherever we live, but we have chosen to live in a place where as you walk out our gate there are so many needs. I feel overwhelmed by it and not being able to help enough because there is so much need. I often pray, Jesus, help me see how you would see and know how and who to help. Christ has called us here to love and serve in His name, for His Kingdom. When our power is out and I am concerned about getting snacks and the ruined waffles, others are on our streets after a night of rain and wondering how to get dry clothes. My true power comes from the Holy Spirit who is infinite and all-powerful. He satisfies me with good and renews our youth like the eagle!! God will give me opportunities to teach my boys how to do for the least of these. With or without electrical power, God is working. God is here. God will help me do whatever needs to be done. Teaching my boys how to be followers of Christ is my highest priority, next to being Steve’s wife. Today the Lord was giving me a chance to teach a small lesson, and I almost missed it. And the Lord taught me a lesson. I need to trust the power of Jesus to transform the hearts of my boys and to give me the power I need to love others well and be His hands and feet serving my family AND others around us. I can sing, Bless the Lord, O my soul. All that is within me, bless His Holy Name!!