As the time for dinner approach, everything was on track. Last minute shopping – done. Prep – done. Salad – ready and temporarily sealed. My special dressing – perfect! Home made mash – in the oven staying warm, tops browning. Guests – on track according to regular updates. Side vegetables – tasty. One thing left – cooking the main dish.
As the guests arrived, I dialed in the right jazz to fit the evening and the setting. It was hard to imagine what could go wrong except for a kitchen slip. I was confident and ready for anything.
As I walked towards the kitchen and the final task in the kitchen, the house blinked and went black. There were no lights, no power, no electricity of any kind in the house. As I felt my way to the front door, I opened to find the other apartment on the floor experiencing the same. Both apartment’s circuit breakers were on. All circuits in each house were on. As we talked about what we were doing, it seems that we were both cooking dinner for friends. While I was using gas, their special meal and the appliances that went with it relied on power, lots of power.
In the minutes and hours that followed until the old fashion fuse was repaired by electricians, we improvised. In the end, I ended up grilling on a gas stove by iPhone flashlight. The strange lighting mixed with smoke from chilies made for a surreal scene that was felt strangely ok. In the end, food was served, great conversation continued, and we had an evening that we will never forget.
As I look back, I realize the difference that made everything possible was the guests and their attitude. We laughed, improvised, and worked to make everything come together. Everyone had a role to play! By the evening’s end I found myself thanking them for an incredible experience; “Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us – you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air!” (Psalm 89.17) As a host, I had been hosted by Spirits who made everything possible.
