He restores my soul …                                 -Psalm 23:3

The red numbers on the clock radio said 5:00 A.M. "… and good morning, folks! It’s a frosty thirty below out there today …"

I shuffled down the hall and turned up the thermostat. Working up a little heat of my own on the treadmill, I soon found myself grumbling to God as I plodded along. Lord, I’m bored. I’m tired of winter, weary of this same old routine - eat, sleep, work, exercise …

Suddenly, the power went off, plunging the house into total darkness. The treadmill stopped with a jerk. Oh great! I suppose this cold snap has blown a transformer again. The treadmill coming to a halt epitomized life without electricity. No heat, no light, no radio. Not even toast and coffee to start the day. For breakfast I ate bread and water.

Water…plumbing…how long will the electricity be off? How soon will the plumbing freeze? The freezers thaw? Freezers! Cover them to keep them cold…get some blankets…drag out the woolen comforters…

By this time my husband Leo was awake too. We were down in the basement bundling up both freezers when the power surged back on. Lights shone brightly, appliances hummed softly, the kettle started to sing. Getting back on the treadmill felt so good.

Why do I seldom appreciate the comforts until the kilowatts quit?

God, thank you that there are no "power outages" with You. Your love warms me, Your Word feeds me, Your Spirit enlightens me. Help me plug into your power.                     -Alma Barkman