The power of family! If you were among the 300,000 customers who lost Power during the 2001 holiday season, yet you celebrated Christmas, then your holiday took on new meaning. I was in the number, but thank God I already had my priorities in place. As the weatherman called for rain and sleet, my only concern was getting my sister in town before the storm hit. I had convinced her to come to Richmond Virginia and share Christmas with us, because we were not celebrating the traditional way. God had blessed us with a new home just before the holiday, therefore money was tight. In talking with my sister, I learned that she wasn’t doing a lot for Christmas either because she had lost her job. So I figured why not have birds of a feather flock together. To make it easier for her to say yes, we arranged to have her picked up. As the storm hit, my only concern was my sister’s safety. There were no last minute details to take care of, or last minute shopping to do. Just cooking and anticipation of the arrival of my sister. As I watched the news, I realized that there are so many people who are missing the true spirit of the holiday. Folks were all over the place braving the weather on Christmas Eve to get that last minute shopping in. Considering the conditions, what could have been more important than being with loved ones? Any gift that was not already purchased could have waited.
After the holiday came and went, I found myself talking with people about how different this Christmas was for me. Being forced to stay with relatives and friends during the most important time of the year. The true meaning of Christmas was thrust upon us as we shared in love what we had, with no Christmas tree and very few presents, and little money. But we had each other, and everyone brought to the table what was necessary to make the holiday a blessing in spite of our circumstances. I firmly believe that God is showing us in more ways than we realize that He is going to have the last word, by any means necessary! Because He is the ultimate Power!