Re-Wiring

A few summers ago my Aunt Barbara introduced my family to a reality show filmed a la PBS (I.O.W. - CLEAN) about 5 families sent from the real world to 1860's Montana. My Mom, born in the wrong era, salivated over the idea of having to rough it through the hard winter, armed with a few sticks and shovel, or some ridiculous scenario like that. But as I watched the show, I thanked the Lord for light bulbs and microwaves. Now my Mom is living in the land of perfect power and I am rubbing sticks together, trying to remember all of the tricks I learned in Brownies. (I only went for the cute brown outfit and can't actually recall any tricks.)
I abhor complaining: #1 - it is boring to complain. #2 - it is illegal as far as God is concerned, and #3 - I really do have an awesome life. BUT, we need a little re-wiring done in our lives, and writing is a good way for me to process, so here goes. (If you can't tolerate a little venting, stop reading now and I promise that I will be more upbeat on my next entry.)
Our power company is called NEPA, which the locals have affectionately dubbed "Never Expect Power Again." They give us an unending supply of prayer material, as we enjoy their services less than 2 hours per day. Having light here requires a gamut of electronics that I had never heard of prior to our leap over the ocean 4 years ago, things like - step down transformers and 5,000 watt stabilizers and change over boxes and inverters. I still don't know what any of those things are, but I am beginning to learn that they are a necessary part of having light in my home. So each week, one of these crucial things catches fire or we hear a large boom coming from the office where they are kept, smoke following the sound as thunder follows lightening. There has never ever ever been a time when all of our appliances were running, the lights were all on, and the hum of electronic tranquility filled our happy home. But we have learned to live with the bumps in the world governed by NEPA.
However, this weekend, we lost our seventh stabilizer, our 110 transformer (which powers all of our American electronics), and our change over box was popping and hissing as if to blow. Nothing worked. So we emptied the fridge and threw food to the dogs again, and took the portable DVD player to the neighbors to charge for an evening respite of Andy Griffith. (All of our neighbor's electricity worked beautifully.) But just as we settled into our dark room to enjoy a little humor, I flipped the switch to turn on the DVD player and guess what happened? In Hausa we say, "Ba aike." No work.
So the electrician who has become my closest friend, has assured us that with only $2000 we can have our house re-wired with Nigeria's best cable, and hope for the best. But as I feel my blood boiling, knowing that the re-wiring may or may not be a successful solution, I know in my heart that it is ME that requires an overhaul. "My grace is sufficient for you, for My POWER is made perfect in your weakness." I know that these LIGHT and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, but it is the pits right now. I feel like I am the one in need of re-wiring, a boost of grace to get me through the warm fridge and dark nights. So we pray for grace, and light, and good wiring within and without.