| Ephesians 1:3-4 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” |
The alarm rings and you stretch as you get out of bed. You turn on the light and head to the bathroom for a quick shower. The cat is pestering you because she wants to be fed, so you feed her and then fix breakfast for yourself – maybe something from the fridge or microwave. You take a roast out of the freezer and put it in the crockpot for dinner tonight. Soon you walk into your home office, turn on your computer, and begin your day.
It doesn’t matter how cold or hot it is outside, you are comfortable. After work you watch tv or YouTube videos while fixing dinner, then do a load of laundry or vacuum the living room. All of these things are brought to you by electricity and internet – two things that are easy to take for granted. I know I did. That is, until June 18, 2023, at about midnight when my town was struck with 100 mph winds causing massive damage and power outages across the city.
I am writing this a few days later while sitting at a cooling station, still several days away from getting power back. Oh, and the heat index is over 100 degrees! My house is dark and hot, and my cat and I are truly suffering. How I wish I could just flip a switch and have things go back to normal!
During this crisis, I’ve done a lot of thinking about taking things for granted. Our verse above says God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing – how often do I thank him for that? I expect him to be available whenever I have a problem, or when I take the time to open my Bible or attend church. Christianity and worship are on my schedule, whenever it’s convenient. He has done so much for me, and I do not appreciate it as I should. I vow to do better from here on.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, – sometimes that is all I can say. I am so sorry that I have taken your love and salvation for granted, expecting you to be available whenever the mood strikes me. Please forgive me for my selfishness and help me to choose you above all else. Amen.
– Betty Gossell
