Redefining Your All : What Matters Most

The concept of “Having Your All” (www.havingyourall.com) was redifined for me this last 24 hours. As Pennsylvania was hit by yet another ice storm my family and I were just one of the many 150,143 customers in our township of Montgomery County to lose power. ” It’s going to be a rough couple of days” predicted PECO electric company as we saw trees fall under the crumbling pressure of snow and ice, unplowed back roads forced cars to detour again and again and the blairing sound of emergency vehicles raced to their next rescue.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's headline "POWERLESS"
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s headline “POWERLESS”


As I write this post, that sound of fire engine sirens and flashing lights is hauntingly imprinted in my memory as  a horrific  nightmare came to life. In the wee hours of the morning in sleet and snow- at 4am on Feb 5th – my neighbor’s home caught fire via an electrical surge. As my husband and I raced out the door, nothing  mattered but their safety. By the grace of God they both escaped with minor injuries and by another miracle even the cat survived.

” Having Your All”  seems so frivalous under these circumstances. Forget move, nourish, balance, purpose and rejuvenation. Here we are talking about raw survival. The “All”  became clear to me. It was about the team effort of the  four fire departments who extinguished the flames which blew out windows and gutted the kitchen and side room. The “All” was about the  other neighbor who called 911 and then our home for help.   More importantly,the “All”  is the overwhelming deep gratitude I feel today, knowing that they made it through.