Today was such a *unique* sort of day. It began when I awoke at 5 a.m. to discover the electricity was out. I made my way down the stairs, found the flashlight, found the outage reporting number for the electric company, and made my way back up the stairs to call them (the downstairs phone is cordless and doesn't work when the electric is out). After working my way through the wonderful system of pushing buttons for the English language, another button to report a power outage, another button to talk to give my phone number and on and on....I finally got to talk to a very nice lady! She let me know there was a line fuse out and they estimated it to be restored by 9:30 a.m. Well. Made it a bit difficult to have my morning coffee!
Never fear, I always say! I had not washed out the thermal carafe I put my coffee in after perking it yesterday (hey, I was glad I had forgotten to do that!), and there was still half a cup of lukewarm coffee in it! Hallelujah! LOL
I lit the oil lamp, and moved on to having my morning devotions. Oh, my! How lovely that was! I had opened the windows in the front and back storm doors, and there was such a lovely, fresh breeze coming in as I studied God's Word. Refreshment for my spiritual and physical self! Not having electricity made it difficult to play my praise and worship music, but I'm sure my Lord found my off-tune acapella voice pleasurable to His ears, anyhow.
A shower was accomplished with turning my flashlight toward the shower curtain and setting it upright in the basket I keep the washcloths in. Hey, it worked. Where there's a will, there's a way! And I will not begin my day without my shower!
I called my daycare client who was due at 7:30 to ask if she had any of her morning coffee left, and explained the situation to her. She stopped at BK and picked me up a large cup (very large!), and I was ever so thankful!
Well, we spent the whole morning in the backyard, and had a blast! The electricity wasn't restored until 12:30 p.m., which I kind of figured would happen. While we were out back the repairmen were working about a 1/2 block away and we heard what sounded like a very loud shotgun blast. They all scattered and I just had this funny feeling that meant a longer delay. Apparently I was right! Lunch ended up being pb&j's and chips. The parents have forgiven me for their children's poor nutrition today, being very understanding of the situation.
After the electric came back on, little Andrew took a nap (the others had left), and there was a knock on the door. I had just fixed my long-awaited pot of coffee (BK just does NOT have good coffee, to my taste preferences anyhow, but I was thankful for it this morn!), and as it was brewing I answered the door. There were 2 gentlemen standing there talking about trying to win a trip to Cancun selling magazines. They asked if they could come in, and being as hot as it was outside, I understood why they made their request. Well, everyone always heads to my kitchen, and these men were no exception. I explained I didn't think I would be able to order any magazines, and they asked if I could fix them a pb&j and a glass of milk as they were very hungry. Okay...not a problem. I fixed them their sandwiches and milk, and they acted like they were manna from the Lord! They thanked me for the food and as they headed for the front door, the older one (mid-30's), saw my sofa and asked if they could just rest a moment as they were very tired. And then he laid down on it! The younger one (mid-20's) sat in the easy chair and laid his head back. They asked if I would wake them in about 20 minutes. Okay....this was getting strange. I kept my eye on them as I poured my long-awaited cup of joe, and as I was doing so the scripture came to mind about entertaining angels unaware. And then the passage about Elijah and the widow woman followed in my mind, and I felt a bit better. I still didn't let my guard down, but there were no problems. They didn't seem to be "casing" my home (there's not much to steal - I live a very simple life), nor did they act strange at all. Just like two gentlemen needing a short respite in a home filled with peace and hospitality. And that's what they received. Twenty minutes later as I was about to awaken them, the phone rang and woke them and they thanked me for my hospitality and left. Hmmm.
Now, many would be a nervous wreck after such an encounter in today's world. But I'm not. My home is blessed, and I'm blessed, and I truly believe that either it was all very innocent, or perhaps they were angels being entertained for a reason. Perhaps I'll never know the truth of the whole matter, and that's okay. As long as they were blessed and felt the love of the Lord, that's all I care about. The rest is up to God. We plant seeds where He leads, and then He takes care of the watering and feeding!
This evening my youngest son took me to the store, and now I'm downloading 24 hours worth of email (about 150). Soon I will have my evening devotion, evening shower, and then retire to my waiting bed to rest up for what the Lord brings my way tomorrow. I wonder how He'll use me to bless someone and what I can do for Him tomorrow?
What ways has He used you today? We must keep our hearts and minds ever ready for any opportunity He presents us with to glorify and honor Him, and spread His precious gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. That's our whole purpose on this earth. No matter what our specific ministry is, we are all to be ambassadors for Christ. So please, dear one, keep your eyes on the Lord, fill yourself with His Word, and be diligent in serving Him every day.
Hugs,
Cynthia Robin
Miss You
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 10, 2006 at 8:10 PM - Link
I'm going to miss you on the old list. Wish you the best in your new plans. Hugs -- Shara
Cynthia,
This is my first visit to your blog...very nice. Wow, you are a very kind person. I would hope to have such a compassion should this arise at my home. I look forward to getting to know you better at Kindred Sisters and Friends and know I will learn heaps from you.
God bless,
Shari
This weblog is a compilation of happening's here in my home. I include homemaking tips, recipes, and encouragement for the homemaker who realizes she is a God-ordained Keeper of her Home.
