Living in the Last Hour

This morning, as my husband and I sat enjoying a nice cup of hot coffee in our warm home, after 5 days of freezing, Scarlet O’Hara came to mind, specifically, the scene where she says, I will never be hungry again. Check out the meme below. I was sharing the thought with my husband and we both got a chuckle. I thought that would be a great meme, so I create it. I found the image on Pinterest. Probably, someone else has already thought about it, but that’s ok. We were also talking about all the stuff he’s experienced in the 3 years he’s been in Texas, visiting and living here. He’s seen two hurricanes, a triple digit summer, a run-on toilet paper, gas shortages, a pandemic, and now an arctic blast, power outages, rolling outages, which he’d never heard of, and a bunch of other little rarities. Wow! Welcome to Texas.

Anyway, it will be a while before I forget that I was layered up with clothing and still freezing – for five days straight. I have to admit that extreme weather always serves to remind me of the limits of our human ability. And indeed, I was reminded. I praise God that He never forgets about us. Anyway, that’s a different topic. I found comfort in God’s promises, but this notion really nagged on me, this mantra “survival of the fittest (SOF).” We’ve taken a harsh beating these past few days. And the phrase seemed to be floating around social media as if it were something to be proud of, or something like that. And I was reminded that man’s first nature is not compassion. The Bible says that we are born with a sinful nature, that is the innateness to our evil nature, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. For those that don’t believe in God, I guess they figured their own abilities and resources will save them. There’s nothing wrong with that, as far as the world is concerned. And that (SOF) in itself is not bad, if the purpose to save oneself first, is to save others. Either way, it was really disturbing to me, that some folks could really be so inhumane.

This is San Antonio, aside from triple digit temps this weather is foreign to us. How prepared can the average resident be for such an emergency? Well, I found out I was as prepared for this weather as our Texas power grid. No winterizing at all. And I can’t believe people are blaming residents for being ill-prepared for this weather.

Well, I also learned a lot about the Texas power grid, ERCOT, and the need for the Texas energy gods to remain independent of the other states, and the “feds.” I didn’t like what I learned. So, while many of us endured freezing temps, some people didn’t feel the slightest of chill. And one leader even took a vacation to Mexico. Sociologically and spiritually, there’s a lot packed into that statement. That too is a discussion for another day.

Anyway, saying God is in control sounds naive and insensitive, when so many are still without power and water, but I believe God is in control. And the utility companies are working hard to get everyone connected. So, I pray for mercy.

And as proud as I may be to be “Texan.” I am first an American. That’s where my liberties stem from, not because I am Texan. And over the course of the last four years, I have been fully persuaded that Texas republican politics is designed to serve the energy gods. These gods rule and many Texans are under their control and their influence. They don’t much care about the little people. Like George Bailey put it:

“Just remember this, Mr. Potter: that this rabble you’re talking about, they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath?”

It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946

It sounds dramatic, but is it really? We all pay in some way for poor leadership. It’s just that those who vote for these leaders have found a means of addressing any cognitive dissonance. Just like church leaders across the country dealt with theirs in disobeying safety mandates. They convince themselves they will obey God rather than man and ignore the COVID safety mandates. And they simply ignore the Scripture that says submit yourself to governing authorities – for your sake. And like former Gov. Perry says, days without power should be a sacrifice Texans should be willing to make if it means keeping federal regulators out of the state’s power grid. I say, really?! Who wants to jump into the volcano first?

Some people don’t want us to get angry. Why not? It’s ok to be angry. It’s not ok to abuse, neglect, or destroy nouns. It’s not ok to manipulate, exploit, or mislead people. Some people want to shut up the complainers, and the whiners. Why? Because it’s too difficult to offer words of compassion, too difficult to empathize, too difficult to calm someone in panic mode, because they don’t believe as they do, because they don’t have to/or don’t want to share their resources? Because unpreparedness equals democrats?

I guess the more difficult times we face, the more we learn about humanity. And right now, to me… humanity seems to have little compassion for the weak, the poor, the downtrodden etc. It’s a pitiful state. And is a lack of compassion representative of the love of God?

In Texas, I think we have a steep learning curve here. Most adults realize that a house divided cannot stand. It can either submit and conform or dominate and destroy. Like in the Big Brother house, there can only be one grand prize winner. And like Abe Lincoln said…

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention.

If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented.

In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed. “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.

Abraham Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois
June 16, 1858

Thanks for reading. Have a safe warm day.