Last week we experienced an electrical power outage that lasted 3 days.  We made do: we lit a fire in the wood stove; we cooked on the propane stove; we lit candles; and we hauled water from a rain barrel to flush the toilet.  All this made me think about power sources and how they can be disrupted. In our case, there had been an early, heavy snow that caused trees to fall across power lines. It took days for the line workers to cut trees, repair transformers, etc.  When the power was finally restored I realized how much I take it for granted and how much our lives depend on it.

It made me wonder about spiritual power outages. In those times when I feel disconnected from God, is it because the power has gone away, as it seems, or is it that some metaphorical trees have fallen on the lines?  What do I need to clear away in order to restore the connection?