Grace in the Dark

Blackouts are common around here.  Electricity can go out for minutes or hours; we’re never really sure why or for how long!  Usually they’re a nuisance...but on one particular night, I was grateful for one!

Eli is now in the stage where he refuses to eat if what is in front of him is not what he wanted.  On one particular night, I had spent HOURS preparing (delicious, if I do say so myself) Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Vegetables.  Just the name of the recipe sounds mouth-watering, doesn’t it?  Anyway, this particular recipe is so full of flavor, I was sure Eli was going to love it.

But he didn’t.  In fact, when I put it in front of him, he began to scream.  It was one of those hair-raising “I don’t want THIS, Mom...I want something else...NOW!”  There are few things that remove my patience more quickly than impatience at meal times.  (ha...I just noticed how his impatience made me impatient...hmm...) I prayed silently, Lord, give me grace with him.  I had just spent hours preparing this...at that moment, I would have rather let him go to bed hungry than have to prepare something else. 

Suddenly, our power went out.  Not again...I thought.  Then I noticed...Eli was no longer crying.  I looked over, and I saw him (*gasp*) eating his vegetables and chicken!  Because he could no longer see, he couldn’t tell which items he liked on his tray and which ones he didn’t!  He had to taste them all in order to figure it out.  To this day, Eli loves that recipe! 

Seriously, as soon as we were done with dinner, the lights came back on.  I love how the Lord has a way of giving us grace when we need it most.  Sometimes he uses Eli’s tantrums to teach me patience...and sometimes He graciously gives me a meal of peace and quiet.  I love how in this particular instance, He used a method that usually elicits an Elijah-like reaction in me.  Blackouts usually equal annoyance in me...that night, it equaled grace.