Oil

 

Tonight I'm thankful for extra oil for my lamp.

I was at a baptism when my neighbor texted to let me know our power was out. 

So when we got home and it was already dark I went to the cupboard and picked up my emergency flashlight and clicked the button and.....nothing.

So I grabbed the backup flashlight....nothing.

We have two kerosene lamps but when I picked them up and gently shook them I knew they were empty.

I needed to make a pot of soup for the souper bowl party at work tomorrow....so I turned the knobs on my gas stove and....without the electric igniter I would need a match.

Which wouldn't be a problem except that I used our VERY LAST match this week and hadn't bought more yet.  And the two lighters in the drawer produced little more than a faint spark.

George came home then and filled the lamps with our reserve oil from downstairs and we got them started with the sparking lighter.  And I improvised with a paper towel tube stuck into the lantern to then light the stove.

We are warm enough and worse case scenario we shower after work tomorrow. 

No real issues, especially when I think of those huddled in shelters in Turkey mourning their unimaginable losses.

But it did make me think of times I've asked myself, how could someone not have matches? Why wouldn't you just always keep extra oil? 

Well,  probably because they were going to, planned to, or thought maybe they could get by a bit longer on a spark or two.  Or maybe it would have taken an extra effort that didn't seem all that pressing when the lights turned on with the flip of a switch.

Or maybe, like me, the supplies had all been purchased and sitting there so long that they started to take for granted that they would work instead of maintaining them. 

Our spiritual oil lamps, or testimonies also have to be maintained.  

Elder Marvin J Ashton warned, "Brethren and sisters, we are living in a time of urgency. We are living in a time of spiritual crisis. We are living in a time close to midnight. There is an urgency to meet the worldwide spiritual crisis through action now. It can only be accomplished by performance. Procrastination is a deadly weapon of human progress. Thank God there is no need of a shortage in the oil of preparedness. It is accumulated at will, drop by drop, in righteous living.   It is known as the parable of the Ten Virgins, a warning to all mankind everywhere."

Tomorrow I'll be picking up some matches and oil.  

And double checking my spiritual oil as well.