5 Days without Power = 10 Lessons for Life

The beautiful snow on Saturday [1/24/26] was followed by equally beautiful, yet totally treacherous ice on Sunday [1/25/26] and we had fair warning courtesy of literally ever weather forecast outlet. We were stocked and ready for an isolated week at home, holding on to hope that we wouldn't lose power. Alas, we did. Knowing that Simon's respiratory therapy machines require electricity and one of his important meds, refrigeration, we made the quick decision to shelter at a hotel. In excess of 230,000 homes [including ours] lost power making this the most significant outage since 1994 [if you like math, that's the year I got my driver's license]. This isn't the first time we've lost power or managed a week of life with snow and ice. While the challenge wasn't new, somehow the lessons were so I'm sharing the first few of them here, knowing that there will likely be more.

1. Decision fatigue is real. When you’re making frequent, rapid, choices on equally as frequent and rapidly changing uncertainties - you can get tired very quickly. It’s exhausting and the need to pray for wisdom is doubled. I got to the point where I needed to phone a friend to help me talk through what should have been a very easy decision…just because.

Lesson: Have someone you can always call no matter what.

2. We could have been way more prepared. BUT, even the most prepared couldn’t weather the weather we just got coupled with the prolonged freezing temps and loss of power. Giving myself grace today but also making plans for the next possibility.

Lesson: God never runs out of grace…we shouldn’t either…that includes grace for yourself.

3. People want to help and it’s okay to accept it. From our church, to my son’s school, to my work team at JMI, to close friends, to hotel employees, to neighbors, and even strangers…we have SO much to be thankful for this week and so much inspiration and insight for how to help when this happens to someone else.

Lesson: Don’t just be prepped for trouble, be prepped to help others in trouble.

4. My people [including my dogs] are fine as long as we’re together. We spent our five powerless nights in a small two-queen hotel room with two parents, two teens, and two doodles - and honestly, loved it. With the exception of Sunny, the 11 year old Doodle being terrified of the elevator and nearly refusing to get on it, we’ve had zero issues here. Gushing Google review for Hampton Inn Cool Springs forthcoming.

Lesson: I have the most amazing wife and kids. They are troopers and we're building memories.

5. I can do hard things. In the nearly 8 years we’ve lived in our 65 year old home, I’ve been in my crawl space a total of zero times until this week. In fact, only Lee Company, my pal Chase Baker, and my eldest child Lillie Cate Allen had ventured under there because I’m terrified of snakes and I don’t love the dark spaces they could lurk. But, a busted water valve at the road and a flooding front yard forced me under there twice - once to shut off my main and once to turn it back on. I wouldn’t say my fear is conquered but it’s lessened. #CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon…I did it…and lived to type this lesson.

Lesson: Be confident and try hard stuff. I’m stronger and braver than I give myself credit.

6. We’ve lost power at our home in Nashville for a week before. It was summer…and COVID…and we just endured. This is the first time we’ve ever been displaced. People do this all the time, with far less resources and far less privilege than we take for granted. There are real feelings that accompany it…body keeps score type feelings…guilt, sadness, fear, all the things. We’ve tiptoed into those places this week. I haven’t quite mustered the words to thank Him quite yet, but I will. At some point soon, I’ll move from thanking God for rescuing us…to thanking Him for revealing to us what this is like and giving us a greater empathy for those who experience this regularly.

Lesson: James 1:2-3 in real time.

7. Nashville is an amazing city. NES has gone from 230,000 homes without power to less than 70,000 [probably even less by the time I post this list] in less than a week. Our Mayor is a true leader and every essential city worker is once again, a true hero.

Lesson: Be patient. People are working so hard and going through more than we know. Also, no one wins when criticism is the default posture.

8. God is…like we needed one more reminder…in the details. Day two at the hotel, we walked down to find a neighbor we hadn’t seen in a long while. We had breakfast with her every morning…and ice-box coconut cake late one night. She is a gem.

Lesson: Keep in touch with folks. People truly are the gift that keeps giving and evidence of God’s kindness to us.

9. For the first time in all the years we’ve lived on our street, we created a massive whole street Group Text. It has been essential as we’ve updated each other, commiserated with each other, supported each other. Neighbors matter so much and I am so thankful we connected like this…even if it took a regional emergency to make it happen.

Lesson: There is no suitable substitute for community. Again. People matter...most.

10. Update: we have power as of 11:30am this morning. We were at the house packing up supplies to move from the hotel to the empty, spare home of a friend that is soon to be listed. They were delaying it just to support us. [Insert tears]. Even though [knock on wood] we don’t need that any more, we don’t have words yet for how grateful we are to them and so many. There 1,000s of others in our city who don’t know yet how long this will last and how much we will all need just to function in the post-ice-cleanup.

Lesson: If the problem hasn’t passed, that means the lesson isn’t over. God is still teaching us. We’re ready to learn.