Powerless

I am typing this on my iPad at the beginning of day 5 without power due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy in our area. We feel very blessed to have suffered no injuries or damage to our belongings in the hurricane. Other than having no power, we are doing just fine.

Last night my patience was wearing thin and my attitude towards our situation was poor, so I decided to sit down this morning and write a little list of things I have been grateful for during this time. Our house is cold, the food in our fridge and freezer has long gone bad, and the laundry and dishes are piling up, but in the midst of it all have been tender mercies that have kept us warm and encouraged.

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, which is rapidly approaching:

Today I'm thankful for

1) Our kind friends with power who have offered hot showers and the use of their washing machines and dryers!

2) The extra hotel points we were able to redeem to get a warm hotel room for a couple nights with power so that Jared was able to keep working. (Points are gone now and it's supposed to get below freezing tonight so hopefully we get power soon!!)

3) My sweet kids who have had great attitudes through it all and kept me smiling with their innocent questions and observations. Two of my favorites:

Hannah (trying to turn on a floor fan after power had been out for two days): "Uh-oh, this button is broken!"

Nathan: "Is my birthday before or after the lights turn back on?"

4) My wonderful husband who has continued to work, take care of us, and make sure that our friends and the people on his sales team are safe and have their needs met. Not to mention his tenderness in taking care of me last night when I smashed two fingers in our garage door while trying to close it manually (seriously, worst pain ever!)

5) The realization that I had on Wednesday night that all five of us were together in that little hotel room, safe and sound. And that was all that really mattered.

My prayers are with those who lost beloved family members due to the hurricane. May our God wrap His arms around them and comfort them with His love and tender mercies in this time.