There I was, busy unpacking the final carton from our move, when the lights in our living area went out. I heard voices outside, went to investigate—and was hailed loudly by a gentleman from upstairs.
‘Hi, my name’s Bill. You’re new, aren’t you?’
‘Yes—my name’s Jo-Anne.’
‘Good to meet you, Jo-Anne. Welcome to this wonderful place where the electricity isn’t working!’
Soon, more folk from neighbouring units appeared.
‘Why are the lights out?’ one lady asked.
‘Oh, we mustn’t have paid our bills!’ another man joked.
We all chatted for a while. Then those lights came back on and everyone disappeared inside again.
Another day, I had walked up to our Village Centre to use the wifi there. Before we moved, we arranged with a certain well-known telecommunications company to have our phone connected at our new address and also the internet. Alas, four weeks later, we are still waiting! During that time, I have realised how much I rely on touching base with author friends and others via email, Facebook and blogs. So there I was, hoping to work quickly and quietly at my laptop in the coffee shop. But soon a man and a lady sat down nearby, obviously wondering who this newcomer might be. I chatted with them for a while, then tried to return to my work. Yet, every few moments, one of them would say, ‘Excuse me, do you know …’, ‘Excuse me, have you seen …’, ‘Excuse me, are you aware …’ and so on. They simply wanted to connect with me and be helpful to someone new. So in the end, I forsook my online friends and opted for the folk seated right in front of me.
On yet another day, I met a lady slowly coming downstairs with some rubbish.
‘Do you need help?’ I asked reluctantly, a little unwilling to stop and chat.
‘No thank you, I’m fine. My name’s Marie.’
‘Oh, that’s my second name,’ I told her—and she was delighted.
Soon I discovered she is ninety and has a twin sister who lives just across the way in another unit.
‘We can wave to each other from our balconies!’ she told me—and I could see how important this connection was for her with the one she has known for all of her ninety years.
As I have reflected on all these recent connections with others and how ready each person was to chat, I sense I have been strongly reminded of God’s heart to connect with me in a meaningful way each day. Yet how often do I momentarily touch base, then scuttle away, as when that electricity came on again in our block? How many times do I ignore God, as I tried to ignore that couple while answering my emails? How often do I refuse to acknowledge God’s presence at all, as I almost did with ninety-year-old Marie?
It’s about stopping in the midst of our busy lives. It’s about becoming aware God is with us and wants to relate to us. It’s about truly connecting—then listening and responding.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I given them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:27-29
Jo-Anne Berthelsen's Blog 