A Powerful Reminder
July 26, 2021 by Janet Morris Grimes
Filed under Faith, Faith Articles
By Janet Morris Grimes –
I clearly remember paying that bill. I always do it online, by the fifteenth day of the month, and then document it on my Google calendar.
The only problem was on this particular fifteenth day of July, I was out of town. Driving, on the road for the third consecutive weekend, and to be honest, I had no idea what day it was. To complicate matters, with another full week out of town followed by the daunting task of moving our daughter into the dorm for her first year of college, apparently I never fully went through the stack of mail that awaited us when we finally returned home to stay.
So imagine my surprise when our power went out early in the month of August. I presumed it was caused by construction in the area, and was quick to notify the power company. Instead, they notified me that we were 15 days late in paying our bill, so the power was turned off as a reminder.
That is a pretty powerful reminder, especially when it is 90 degrees outside.
My first thought was: “Oh, it’s August already?” But that retort would have confirmed the dimwit I apparently had become over these wonderful months of summer. I had no way of defending my actions and when I checked my Google calendar, there was no documentation that it had been done in reality. But in my mind, I had already marked it off my list.
Such is the problem with the lack of structure and routine. Perhaps that is why mothers across the globe are so excited to see their children return to school. Because then everyone knows what to expect. Our days fall into a steady pattern, and although it is hectic, it is at least consistent.
Summer has been wonderful, relaxing and filled with the type of opportunities and memories that do not come along every day. A wedding in Ohio? College visits? Vacation? Bible Camp? New job? Done. And I treasured every moment. I can look back at the summer of 2012 with no regrets.
Except for one. Paying that dreaded electric bill. Or rather, the failure to do so.
That is a lesson I will never forget.
And I hate to say it, but bring on the structure.
Janet is the author of The Parent's Guide to Uncluttering Your Home, released in April of 2011 through Atlantic Publishing. She launched Abbandoned Ministries in 2010, which leads others through her writing and speaking to seek God, as Abba, during times of abandonment. She currently writes monthly for Christian Woman Today, the grief website Open to Hope, and Mamapedia. For additional information on Janet, visit her website at http://janetmorrisgrimes.com or http://abbandoned.com.