Power Out-Mommy Out

 We lost power here last week. I was a baby. A BIG baby. I grew up in a house without air conditioning. Iowa summers are hot.. I can't face being in a hot house, in the dark- HOT!  While the power was out, I lost my ability to mother properly. I was hot. We lost almost everything in our fridge and freezers. Kevin still had to leave for a business trip. Bruiser had to stay. His boarding place also had no power. We had to stay at home. My friends don't like dogs. I don't blame them. He was hot. He was stinky.  It was hot. I was stinky. I spent 60.00 on ice and batteries. I was sad. I know others had it worse, some still without power even days later. I tried to focus on the positive. I had a battery powered fan. I would not share it. It was mine. I bought it with my own money. After the 12th hour I wondered if I could cut through the foundation of my house and make a window in the basement with that fan. It just wasn't cut out to do that type of job. But- The basement was cool. It was tempting. The basement was dark with spiders and legos all over the floor. Legos hurt when you step on them. It was dark.

 After seeing that there was no hope. 40,000 people lost power. All of our life saving devices, i pods, computers, phones were almost out of power. I loaded up the kids and drove to the land of electricity. The Granger McDonalds.

 Our family and the rest of the Granger families without electricity sat at McDonalds. Did you know our McDonalds only has one outlet in the restaurant? I do. We were sitting there. Every device took its turn charging. People did not like me. My kids were happy. Their kids were not.  I overheard, (actually she was pretty loud,) another mother hoping, that the family hogging the electricity was almost done. I went and got shakes. I smiled. When we left,  I offered our table to a NICE family. I was a brat. My brain was still hot. I'm sorry Mommy with 2 kids who talks in a very loud voice. I hope you got some electricity. If I ever see you again, I will buy you a shake.

We arrived home. It was hot. All devices on full charge. Kids settled in. I opened up my devotional for the day and read:
- No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived- Exodus 10:23  I knew God was speaking directly to me. God did not want me to focus on the darkness but the light. God wants me to live in the light everyday regardless of my circumstances. Even if I am hot. The darkness can immobilize you only if you let it. Darkness can mean no electricity but it can also mean bad choices and negative thoughts. I have to remember to live my life in the light every day and to push out the darkness that sometimes creeps in. God saved the day! We survived. I changed my attitude. I looked for light. I found it.