The sun was hot and the air was humid even through the grey clouds. It was the calm after the storm. But it was too calm. Half of the houses on the street were abandoned and the others looked to be shut down; no air running, no lights on, and no music playing from the garage. The energy of the town had been shut down. The wind and rain had wiped out the power in the area, leaving everyone stuck in the heat. Some left to find comfort in hotels in a neighboring town while others joined the work crews to try and restore power for the community. Kids ran around enjoying the fresh air and teenagers left without television went out in the street to relearn the joy of playing outside. Neighbors compared damages to their homes and worked together to make trips with the gas they had to get any necessities anyone on the street needed.

But as the hours went on, and the sun went down, the optimism of the street died and the families settled in for a long night. Some fathers gathered in the yards to be on neighborhood watch; no power meant no alarm systems, and the men of the family stood up to protect their homes. Even as the night got darker, the humidity stayed, and mothers stayed awake to care for their sweating children. Just as it was beginning to seem like the sun was never going to come and the heat would never end, a light at the end of the cul-de-saq lit up the whole street.

A growling noise started to grumble from one of what was thought to be an abandoned house. The noise grew louder and louder as lights began to flicker on throughout the home. In the silence, everyone could hear the air switch on and the power fully restore in the home. An elderly woman ran out the front door of the home and yelled to all the men watching their homes, “Bring your families! I invested in a generator that will give us power for at least twelve hours!”

The whole street gathered in the elderly woman’s home. The children slept in a room full of mattresses while the parents rejoiced in conversation and drinks. The elderly woman told the story of how her and her husband were the first people on the street and how they enjoyed watching the community grow. She said the street was their home and they thought of all the families that moved in as part of their family. She explained that before her husband passed away, he had saved money for her to buy a generator, so that if this were to happen, she would be able to provide for their street family. Throughout the night the street of neighbors became a family. When morning came, children helped set tables and chairs while mothers whipped up pancakes in the kitchen. Before the men headed out for the day to restore power, the street family gathered for a family breakfast. The joined hands and bowed their heads as the young woman began to speak, “Dear heavenly Father, thank you for bringing this family together. Even through the storm you were here brewing something beautiful."