What’s Good About This?

Some time ago, the area where I live in Michigan was part of the vast area that lost power. The power has long since been restored, the water is okay to drink, and my refrigerator and freezer are restocked with essentials.

I was listening to National Public Radio a while back, and a story aired about a man in Ohio who lost power. When the electricity went out in his area, he immediately began to set up his telescope. It was late in the afternoon, but he had plenty of time to get set up before the darkness of the night set in.

The man beamed with delight as he described his experience. “Complete darkness is the way the stars are supposed to be viewed,” he exclaimed. He told of galaxies and meteor showers that he was able to see because of the total darkness.

“What a different viewpoint,” I thought. Several million people were without power, all the stores were closed, water was not potable, and many people were immobilized because gas stations were also closed. And this guy wasn’t thinking about any of that. Rather, he was focused on a positive effect of the power loss. The outage provided an opportunity to play astronomer in total darkness.

In our house, the loss of power created an opportunity to purge our refrigerator and freezer of foods that have been living in there for months. We also had a “scavenger hunt” of sorts, as we searched for flashlights, batteries and candles. (“Preparedness” might be a future topic!) We “camped out” in the basement, and told stories. In short, we made the best of it. 

What are you focused on? Not just when the power goes out, but every day? What are you focused on in the midst of political tension, or as you navigate through COVID-19? Each event brings with it the opportunity to assess the good, or the bad. The event itself is neutral, which means that we get to decide what we want to focus on. We can choose to ask the question “What’s good about this?” then determine our answer to that question.

Reflect back on whatever event comes to mind. If the event caused you to react negatively, what could you have done differently? What did it cost you because of the way in which you reacted? Had I become frustrated and angry when the power went out, we may have missed the opportunity for what turned out to be a fun family time. 

I was thankful when power was restored. And I’m glad that we benefit from modern conveniences like electricity. But I am also grateful for the experience that we had as a family. That, like the experience of the man in Ohio, was a good thing!