Christmas Eve started on a strange note for me this year. On the 23rd as I was watching TV, my power went out at about 9:45 that night. The temperature had already begun to plummet thanks to the “Bomb Cyclone” (zero stars; do not recommend), so I had to bundle up in my bed because the house would only get colder.
The power finally came back on around 3:45, but it was intermittent. The electricity would surge every so often, flashing off and back on just quickly enough to reset the microwave and oven clocks and take the WiFi down. At one point on Christmas Eve morning, the electricity flashed off and back on every eight minutes.
Next door to me, my sister and niece were trying to bake biscuits and cook bacon and sausage to host my brother-in-law’s family. I was just trying to keep warm in temperatures that we Southerners weren’t made for.
Finally, by early in the afternoon, the power situation had worked itself out. (A neighbor and friend who just retired from a power company job said that all the new houses that have been built around us created enough strain on our local power grid to cause the problems.) Nevertheless, it was still cold outside.
Since our church decided to do an evening service on Christmas Day since it falls on a Sunday, they didn’t do a Christmas Eve service. There went one of our big family Christmas Eve traditions.
We went to Waffle House for early supper — our other Christmas Eve tradition — and went over to my brother and sister-in-law’s house to play games and have fun as a family.
Flashback: Christmas Eve Traditions Are Especially Welcome This Year
This year, Christmas Eve was different, but what never changes is my gratitude. I’m so thankful for a family who is close, both relationally and physically. I’m blessed to have a family who loves doing Christmas traditions together, and that’s never lost on me.
I discovered this year how grateful I am to live in a comfortable house that’s (usually) warm. I know that plenty of people don’t live in comfort, and I’m thankful that God has lavished me with so many material blessings.
I’m overflowing with gratitude for the opportunity to do what I love and use my God-given talents. I’m thankful for all of you who read what I write on a daily basis. You make it possible for me to make a living doing what I love to do.
Most of all, I’m grateful for the birth of God’s Son and His life, death, and resurrection. Sure, we can debate whether Jesus was really born in December, but this is the perfect time of year to celebrate His birth. And I can’t be thankful enough for the gift of Jesus.
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