Is It Time To Rewire?
Your neighborhood Home Depot might not be able to help you with this kind of lightless lamp.
We begin this week’s story with a picture.
You are viewing two chewed-through wires by my then new puppy whose antics you’ve read before. The first, under my thumb, is my MacBook Air charger wire (renewable via amazon for roughly 17 bucks.) The second brown cord use to be connected to my standing lamp (a wedding gift). Since the aforesaid Chewing of The Wires - about eight months ago – my husband and I have lived half in the dark in our living room, mostly because neither of us are electricians, and time, and … well… all the things.
About a week ago I decided I’d like to have light again in the living room that I may read without struggle. My husband and I read aloud occasionally. Currently we are on The Pickwick Papers and The Song of Bernadette. I tell you this because The Song of Bernadette, especially, (because we read from an old hardback used book), has itsy bitsy teensy tinesy printing that has lost much of its original fervent black ink and is now faded grey. In other words, I need light - extra light - to read it.
Back to the lightless lamp. I take a picture of the (still attached) left-over abused wire and go to Home Depot so I can be educated on all that I will need to have light again.
After showing close ups of my bare wires (ohh la la!) and lamp type, I am led to the correct replacements (electrical tape, wire cutters etc., along with a tutorial of how to get it all working again.) Super simple! Just cut the wire fresh and give myself enough bare wire to “twist” in with the new wire lovingly supplied by the Home Depot guy, tape it this way, then that way, and voila! Let there be light!
It can’t be that hard, right?
I did the whole thing. I borrowed appropriate wire cutters from our townhouse maintenance, who also re-informed me how to use them, and came home for my entry into the world of Benjamin Franklin’s discovery of electricity!
Philly, my pup, watched. (“Philly, no! [the daily chant] Get away. This is not a reminder of your past transgressions nor an encouragement for more teething.”)
Wire cutters worked, check! Wire twisting, check! Electrical wire this way, then that way, check!
It’s beautiful!
I plug it in –
I discovered electricity.
P – O – P !
Light - where it should not be. Right within the outlet holes.
S-P-A-R-K!
I pull out the plug.
The tops of the pins have melted.
Huh. Could I be as bad at this as I am at math?
I thought I did everything the Home Depot guy told me to do. Hm.
Still no light.
(I am going to take that little plug back to Home Depot for a little refund.) And I will not be offering myself as HGTV talent any time soon.
Now, class, what have we learned?
Of course – tactically speaking – “We”, (royally speaking – and why not? We’ve just witnessed a coronation), have learned to keep to our own talents, skills, and gifts. If one needs or desires to expand, perhaps take a class first, watch a pro, allow someone to do it for you, even with you, before you go it alone. Even when your brother (who is an electrician) says the guys at Home Depot will tell you how to do it.
Sometimes buying a new lamp is worth it…so you don’t burn the house down.
From the tactical we turn to the spiritual.
In order to put your light up on a lamp stand for all in the house to see, you’ll need to make sure you’re wired up safely and effectively. Did you get enough sleep? Are you eating well, too much, enough? Are you feeling lonely? Do you need community? Are you feeling discouraged to share your talents and gifts?
Where, my Dear, do you need a good and thorough rewiring today?
Do you need a professional? Do not underestimate this possibility. We want the good “pop”; a positive spark that produces productive life giving light, even a purifying spark. But we don’t want to burn you up from inside out. Though the Phoenix does rise from the ashes – let’s keep you flying.
What needs rewiring?
Who (or what) is chewing on your connection?
And how long have you been waiting to get things put right again?
Go to the Source. The source of your light. Start there. That’s your true depot to Home.
Guess what? I seem to have plateaued at 50 …er make that 49 (someone decided against me) subscribers. Is it me? I wonder if, at this anniversary of my one whole year on Substack, the dough could begin to rise again? Know anyone who could use a word on rewiring? Share this post with them!
Did you know I’m a spiritual director? Think life coaching from a spiritual perspective. Know of someone who might benefit? You can learn more about that here!
This story was first published here on my personal blog where you can read different articles as well.
Love the analogy. We want to share the light , but if are short circuited we could burn others and ourselves. And not have light at all. We gotta have it right ourselves. He is the light and we know Him buy knowing His word. Good message. Nicely written.