I started to picture what it would be like if winter camping actually took place. I was cruising the empty aisles at Wal-Mart which happened to be empty. I kept thinking, all we need is light, food, and warmth. All of the sudden, I realized how much extra crap is available at Wal-mart. Tiny things that consume my time, wallet, and desire no longer felt necessary. Normally, when I go to Wal-mart I tell myself, within good reason, go pick out groceries for the month and have fun picking out whatever you WANT. Today I was thinking, what do I actually NEED if I no longer have heat, water, power, etc.
I grabbed two candles, wondering, what if the heat really does go out? What will I do for warmth? Then I remembered the mountain of clothing, socks, shoes, hats, and gloves I have. Did I mention all of the blankets I have? Yeah, I guess my fetish for quality blankets could possibly pay off. I thought what if we can't cook? Then I realized I had the money to buy crackers, bread, and canned goods. I probably spent an hour in Wal-Mart thinking, "what do we really NEED?" So often, I more so think about what little frills do I want. I buy little frozen foods, cute things for my office, an occasional shirt or accessory, but today, when I was thinking of what I would need if I was down to the basics I was very humbled.
I realized then, "what about all my kids that I work with?" So many of the families I work with have very little. While I was able to drop about $80 today on groceries, gas, and car stuff, I realized some of my families living in poverty that I work with won't necessarily have the ability to go out and buy the last $20 flashlight. They won't have a bunch of extra clothes to wear when it gets cold. They couldn't probably afford to buy extra ice scrapers for their cars when theirs break. Some are going to really have a hard time if this power does go out for two weeks. In all honesty, I know if the power went out even for two weeks, we have what we need to survive here. It may be uncomfortable and different because there will be more work, but I will survive. I think the biggest shock for people like me is that I am so used to having things easy. I don't really worry about being cold, hungry, or without very often. For my families, it's another hill to climb. Maybe that's why the grocery lines are long for those suburban families... we just aren't used to struggling anymore. The idea that everything is so easy for me, really made me appreciate all of the blessings I have and made me want to figure out how I can continue to stay humbled in the future with the reality that I am probably one of the 3% of the world's population who needs to be reminded about NEEDS and WANTS. All that from a day off of work and a trip to Wal-mart......
Well, whether it's a couple hours without power, two weeks, or just a false alarm, this day God revealed a lot to me. 1. Humility and a desire to humble myself continually to live a simple and real life. 2. Respect for my families that I work with and their endurance to struggle silently. 3. Hope that maybe if there is a loss of power, many more people will be reminded of the immense blessing God has given us. 4. A clear head to take whatever comes with a smile and purpose to find joy even in the simplest things.
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