Fear of the Dark

Wake Up: There is Light

In Oklahoma, we have tornadoes, lots of them.  I suppose when you grow up with tornadoes, as with earthquakes, (we have those too!) somehow, it’s not something you worry about.  At least, not until it happens very close to you and you see the horrible damage a “small” F2 can do.  The storms that came through Tulsa on Sunday, not only had tornadoes, but high straight winds and lots of rain, hail, lightening, all the usual stuff.  Some folks sleep right through it if nothing wakes them.  I was sleeping quite nicely until a big boom and the electricity went off.  I had no idea there was a tornado instantly dropping down and doing major destruction only a few miles away at almost the same time. 

I think that is pretty much a human thing to not really miss something or even notice until that something is gone.  Like with electricity, it is an everyday, without thinking about it, occurrence.  But, when it isn’t there, wow, do we notice it!  No light, no air, no way to charge a phone, no internet, no fridge, oh, my!  At 1:30 in the morning I’m up worrying about how warm I’ll get and the contents in my fridge and how I will not be able to blow dry my hair!  So, I immediately reported the outage and decided to just simply go back to sleep.

Ah, the dog rises at 5 am, as usual, but when I awake, my salt lamp is off and then I remember what happened at 1:30.  So, I go into finding light mode, candles, check, flash light, check, and then I remember I can check PSO power outage updates.  Power will be restored on Monday by 5 pm.  Really?

I light my candles in my lovely antique candle holder and head toward the living room and kitchen, etc.  Then my mind finally is awake and I’m thinking, “This is how people lived “back in the day”, as Corbin would describe it.  Even my parents grew up with kerosene lamps and candles.

Dependent and unappreciative, those were the words that came to my mind.  I stumbled around and finally sat down and began my prayers.  Thank you for the light you have given me, thank you for my safety, but most of all thank you for the light that surrounds me constantly.  I smiled and knew I wasn’t alone or in the dark.

I also want to thank God for the protection of those people in that horrible storm.  No one was killed, but there were injuries and, of course, the emotional trauma they suffered.  I send healing thoughts to all.

Always a Lighted Path

The muted glow of candles,

Show me the way

From room to room.

Without the superficial light of man.

I am reminded of the ever present,

Ever shining light of God.

I am protected in his presence.

I am lifted above the darkness,

And all is well.

PAWade

2017