Dependency

There is no Internet in my apartment tonight; the server isn’t responding… whatever that means?  It got me thinking… what would it be like to live far away from home (such as Haiti) and have no Internet to communicate to friends and family instantaneously?  What would it be like to be a missionary in the 1900’s?

I would have to wait for weeks or months to receive mail; I would wonder how people are doing back home; and I would rely more on prayer asking God to protect my loved ones until I saw them again.

We all have dependencies and often do not realize it until it’s taken away; but life truly goes on with or without the Internet.

Tonight when the Internet wouldn’t work and I got mildly frustrated, I thought to myself, “I’ll just have to do something else”.  What a precious and rare opportunity that you may never experience in the Western world; time away from the Internet; time to stop thinking about what everyone else is doing on Facebook; time to reflect, read or pray. 

What did I reflect on?

The fact that I can get frustrated because there’s no Internet (or often slow Internet) means I’m not living a martyr’s life in Haiti; far from it, actually. I live in a clean apartment with running hot and cold water, a toilet that flushes, electricity 24/7, and an AC that works most of the time (except for the last 4 days!), as well as Internet, most of the time.  I’m living almost as comfortably as you are. 

No, I may not have the latest home décor or fashion but it’s come to my attention that I’m living a “spoilt life”, compared to the majority of the Haitian population. 

Dare I pray it?  Lord give me more opportunities to be taken away from the things I depend on, so that I can learn to depend solely on You; for You alone are truly faithful and reliable.

p.s.- do not feel sorry for me, the Internet returned 30 minutes later after I’d finished writing this post for you.