i grew up on a farm in the 1950s, back when heating a house meant feeding the furnace with coal and wood. On a cold morning, it wasn’t unusual to scrape frost from the inside of your bedroom window before you could see out. Yes, inside. We didn’t have a fancy weather app, we had a window that doubled as a popsicle.  (Segue- Windows were ok to lick but don’t try the flagpoles in Wisconsin or your tongue will be left behind and you will be bleeding all over that pretty white snow!)

These days, many of us expect a warm home and electricity whenever we want it. We plug in our refrigerators, stoves, phones, computers, and roughly four thousand other gadgets we’ve somehow decided we can’t live without. I’m convinced the average American home has more chargers than it has outlets, and we’re still on our hands and knees looking for one more that got lost “somewhere.”

I got a reminder of that this weekend when I went to our cabin in the woods. We recently added solar panels, and there’s a fireplace for heat. But on a chilly fall evening, I thought, “Why not bring my little portable heater? That’ll be easier.”  NOT!

At 10:30 that night, my CPAP machine shut off—and so did every light in the cabin. Suddenly my convenient little heater didn’t seem like such a brilliant idea. I was cold, my phone was running low, and I was lying there wondering how I’d sleep without my CPAP. Apparently, my grand plan for the evening was “see how warm you can get wrapped in all the blankets you can find and keep breathing.” I could have gotten up and built a fire but I decided to tough it out.

I felt helpless in the moment. The solar system had run out of power, and there was no magic button to bring it back. I had to wait for the sun. It turns out the sun does not take requests to come up early (even if you pray.) This was just another one of those AFGO’s I talk about Another Flipping Growth Opportunity where I could choose to flip my perspective or sit in misery.  It was my choice.

That got me thinking about recovery and the power we need to change our lives. If you’ve read my book, 3 No-Fail Life Habits: The 3 G Method to Rewire and Transform Your Brain, Body and Spirit, you know I love an analogy. This one practically wrote the topic for my Saturday morning livestream. Honestly, it was more cooperative than the heater.  (WATCH MY LIVESTREAM BY CLICKING ON THE PIC)

In the 12-step program, Step One asks us to admit that we’re powerless over alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable. Step Two invites us to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. I’ve noticed that “greater than ourselves” is a much bigger category than most of us like to admit, especially those of us who are fairly sure we could have fixed the solar panel if someone had just handed us a manual and a flashlight.

When I feel powerless to change my life, rewire old patterns, get sober, care for my health, or find relief from anxiety and depression, I need to connect to a source of power greater than my own. For me, that source is Jesus-the Son of God. Yes, Son is spelled differently from the sun that charges solar panels. I’ve had 50 years to get that joke right, and I intend to use it.

The Bible reminds us:

God’s power meets us in our weakness.

“My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
We don’t have to pretend we’re strong enough to handle everything. That’s good news, because my performance in the cabin that night was less “spiritual giant” and more “blanket burrito with regrets.”

God gives us strength for the next step.“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:13

That doesn’t mean every change happens overnight. It means we don’t have to take the journey in our own strength—which is convenient, because mine ran out around 10:31 PM.

Just like my solar system didn’t recharge instantly, lasting change takes time. If we’ve spent 30, 40, 50, 60, or even 70 years relying only on ourselves, we shouldn’t expect everything to change by Tuesday afternoon. As I like to say, God is patient with us. Unfortunately, so is the learning curve.

And sometimes God sends help in a very practical form. I called my son-in-law, and he came out the next morning, checked the system, made a few adjustments, and used the generator to get things moving. I was able to enjoy the rest of the weekend without further trouble, and with a whole new appreciation for electricity, generators, and people who know how to work them.

I have faith in God, and I know God works through people: to encourage us, teach us, support us, and help bring light into our lives. Sometimes that person shows up with a generator. Sometimes they show up with a casserole. Either way, I say yes.

Since discovering the power of the Gospel in 1976, I’ve tried to be a “Faucet of HOPE”  Yes…another analogy of being a tool that in and of itself does nothing but once the “living water” runs through it, lives are saved. HOPE for me is offering Help Opportunity Praise and Encouragement.  In doing that we are bringing light to broken dark places and reminding people that a new life is possible. I’ve made it my mission to be a professional HOPE-dealer. It doesn’t pay in electricity, but the returns are pretty good!

So, are you ready to get recharged? Or maybe connected to that power for the first time? You don’t have to do it alone. Join me and our community and let’s take the next step together toward a meaningful life God created you to live. Bring a blanket if you like. But you won’t have to scrape the frost off the inside of your soul.

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