we had a power outage today at 11:50ish. everything went quiet and dark, and we were supposed to be serving lunch at 12:30pm.
six hours earlier at the beginning of the AM shift, John had prayed "God, if anything goes wrong today, please just use it for Your glory."
that was the first thing i thought of when the lights and music went out. how God's weird glory was going to play out.
luckily we had made all the food we needed, it was just a matter of bowling/plating it up and keeping it warm. we stuck the burners we use for buffet lines into our warmers and we became Fridge/Freezer Door Nazis with the Work Crew. :P John and i were working at the stove, using the gas that was still working to finish making hush puppies and special diet meals. we started discussing the possibility of the power outage being caused by a nuclear apocalypse. what if everyone else on the planet was dead, and we were the only community still alive? what if we had to populate the planet again? and here's where it got hilarious and borderline inappropriate...who would our camp spouses be? you can imagine the fervent conversation that came from that one amongst the Summer Staff.
then we started treating the power outage like we were in 300 and we were facing a massive battle. "We will serve in the SHADE!!!" was my favorite line i heard.
well 12:30 came around and we were ready to get going, even if the food was slightly less warm than usual. the Work Crew sang "Wonderwall" on stage as the campers came into the Dining Hall (still bright from all the windows) since the sound system was out, and then they ran back in the dark kitchen to get their trays. it felt just as hectic as it usually does during meal times, but ran just as smoothly. it was precisely at the end of the meal when the power came back on and we all cheered.
i'll never be able to fully understand how God works, but i could feel the teamwork amongst our cook team like never before. we were all thrown into the same circumstance and leaned on each other to make it through. we even had a fun time doing it. i think He worked in us and through us FOR us. i love His quirky style.
He uses strange moments like these to heal my heart in ways i didn't know it needed. today, He reminded me that i am not alone. i've honestly felt desperately alone lately, and it's been a hunger that i haven't known how to stifle or satisfy. how exactly does one "give that to God" in a way that actually leads to peace? every woman i know that feels the same way can testify with me in saying that it is a wrestling match that never truly ends.
but today, He soothed the pain. He gave me a team who had my back and were likeminded in mission and in passion, which is the foundation of any healthy relationship. He made it fun and enjoyable. He made it a learning experience. He brought our differences together and used them to benefit each other.
i was not alone, and i know that if the "ish" ever hits the fan again that i will not be alone. even if all is well for the rest of my life, i will not be alone. not just because He is in me, but because He has graciously given me a vibrant community that keeps growing.
my God is Healer, and today He used a power outage to do it.
it's time to bike ride with my kitchen buddy Mikaela, shower off the nastiness, then go see the final installment of my beloved fantasy series tonight in theatres.
until we meet again. ;)
