Lights

Two years ago Heidi and I visited with Job Urassa, the father of Irene, who is the student we sponsor in Secondary School. At that time he was asking if there was any way to get Irene moved into the dormitories at the school because she had to study by candle light. There is no electricity to their home. She eventually got moved into the dorms and is excelling in her studies.

I remember thinking at the time that I couldn’t imagine studying by candle light. The power goes out here all the time, so candles and flashlights are constantly in use. Someone was asking us how often the power goes out in Nebraska. They were shocked to hear us say that it was less than an hour per year, shocked. They probably are without power 25% of the time.

We are lucky, the place we are staying has a generator, so when the power goes out, the generator is usually running within minutes. On Saturday night we were staying elsewhere and the power went out at 6 p.m. We sat and talked while it got very dark until about 7 p.m. Then we had dinner by candle light, then at 8 p.m. we each took a candle to our own rooms to go to bed.

I really wasn’t tired at all, so I tried to read by candle light. I had to very carefully hold the dish the candle sat in as to not drip wax on my lap. I had to hold the candle right up to my book and then slowly lower it in pace with my reading. It was slow going. I had to set down the book and switch hands with the candle each time I turned the page. It was tedious. In one hour, I read 10 pages. (Just to compare, the next morning I read 40 pages from the same book in on hour.) Finally at 9 p.m. I just went to bed because it was too difficult to continue.

Every time I think about that one hour, I think about the kids who have to study by candle light each and every night. They come home from school in day light hours, but help out at the home getting dinner ready, the animals fed, and cleaned up. Then, when the sun has gone down, their tired eyes strain to complete their assignments next to the dim light of a candle.

I couldn’t do it. I know Mary and Laura Ingalls probably did, but not me.

So, today I’m thankful for electricity. Seriously, flipping on a light switch is small and simple and one of the most insignificant things you’ll do today, but be thankful as you do it!

As I'm getting set to post this the power has gone out again.  But its after midnight, so I best just hit send and go to sleep.