Generator Living

The winds blew, the rain came, the lights went out.  Over 3.5 million folks accustomed to lights and action came to a screeching halt as Hurricane Ike blasted his way from Galveston up I45.  It was sobering walking the neighborhood, seeing giant trees upturned with grass surrounding their dangling roots like green pizzas. Suddenly the roar of gas powered generators breaks the usual serenity of the early morning and lines snake around parking lots waiting for gas to power their hungry bellies.

The winds blew, the rain came, the lights went out.  Over 3.5 million folks accustomed to lights and action came to a screeching halt as Hurricane Ike blasted his way from Galveston up I45.  It was sobering walking the neighborhood, seeing giant trees upturned with grass surrounding their dangling roots like green pizzas. Suddenly the roar of gas powered generators breaks the usual serenity of the early morning and lines snake around parking lots waiting for gas to power their hungry bellies.

It was bad: one woman sleeping peacefully at 5:30 AM fell victim to a huge tree that crushed through her roof and took her life.  Checking out the storm from across the house her husband escaped a similar fate. 

It was good: neighbors who usually compartmentalize ourselves with automatic garage doors and air conditioning labored together in cleanup and tree removal. Conversation and camaraderie flourished.   The tantalizing fragrance of sizzling bar-b-que whetted appetites as freezers emptied, their contents grilled and shared. Community developed.

But living without power for a week, with all accompanying frustrations, reminds me just how dependent I am upon power for everyday tasks.  I forget that easily.  Jesus commanded His disciples not toleave Jerusalem “until you are endued with power from on high.” 

I wonder if I truly understand just how dependent I am upon His power for everyday living? Do I really believe I can accomplish God’s work without God’s power?  A gasoline generator provides a limited supply of energy to keep a refrigerator working but it pales in comparison to full power. Am I living a “generator” life with God, failing to abide in complete dependence upon the Spirit, I shouldn’t be surprised then if I accomplish nothing!