Alex Carson
Electricity
We depend on electricity in our daily lights. We need power to keep our lights working, to use our appliances, to watch television, and to use the computer. We may rely on electricity, but we take it for granted until we don’t have it. When the power goes out, it seems like life as we know it stops. This is what happened to Josh and Stacy Lemonds.
Josh and Stacy
Josh and Stacy live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They had been going through a bout of bad luck. The couple who worked together both found themselves unemployed when the company started laying off employees. When the electricity in their home began to malfunction, they thought that things couldn’t get any worse. With the temperature getting colder and colder outdoors, they didn’t know what they were going to do without power.
The Issues
The problem first started with the heating system. They tried to look at it but had no idea what they were looking at. When the lights started flickering, they were sure that it was an electrical issue. They thought that the problem could have been due to the age of the house. It was built in 1945, and they didn’t think it had been rewired since. It wasn’t long before the electricity on one side of the house was malfunctioning, but working, and the electricity on the other side of the house was out completely.
Turning To God
Since they were religious, they decided to turn to God for help. They were part of their church’s marriage group, so they asked the group to pray for them. They had no money, no way to fix their electricity, and no heat, so prayer was their last hope. They never expected to get the help that they needed so quickly.
Joshua Matthews
Joshua Matthews was part of Josh and Stacy’s marriage group. When his wife got sick, the couple was there to help out. They brought him meals and offered to help around the house while his wife was recovering. Matthew served in the United States Army. He was a member of the 45th Infantry Divison and served two tours in Afghanistan. When his time in the Army was over, he came home and started working as an electrician’s apprentice at Dane Electric. When the couple asked for prayers, they had no idea what Joshua did for a living.
The Text Message
When the couple sent out their request for prayers, Joshua sent them a text message. He told them that he was an electrician and he lived just 10 minutes away. He offered to go over to their house to see if he could figure out what was causing their electrical issues. When Joshua arrived at the home, he realized that there was much more to their electrical problems than they could have imagined. He suggested that they call the Oklahoma energy board for a second opinion. The next day, OG&E paid them a visit.
Pulling the Meter
OG&E found discovered that the couple’s electrical meter was a fire hazard and they had to pull it. The couple couldn’t have electricity until it was fixed. Based on their financial issues, they couldn’t afford to have it fixed. They were devastated. The couple had no heat in the middle of winter and no way to fix the meter. The only good thing was that Joshua had already begun the work rewiring their electrical system.
A Man On a Mission
Joshua made it his top priority to get the couple’s electricity turned back on. He worked in the rain and the cold. He even worked at night. Stacy was worried about him being out there, climbing up and down the wet ladder. She told him he didn’t need to do so much in such severe weather conditions, but Joshua was determined. It was too cold for the couple to stay in the home, so the first night, they slept in the car. The next night, the church took up a collection to pay for them to stay in a hotel. While Josh and Stacy were staying at the hotel, Joshua worked most nights until midnight trying to repair their electricity. He wasn’t working alone. Christian Harbison, an electrician who works with Joshua at Dane Electric, helped out.
An Act Of Charity
When the work was done, Josh and Stacy worried about how to pay for the work. Joshua told them that they were doing the work for free. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Their lights were on, their heat was on, and they didn’t own a penny.
Pay It 4ward
After an electrician made a promise to a couple, they set up a surprise in their living room. To repay Joshua for his work and kindness, Stacy reached out to KFOR-TV News Channel 4 program, Pay It 4ward. They work with First Fidelity Bank to reward selfless acts. Joshua’s boss at Dane Electric sent him back to Josh and Stacy’s house. He thought that there was an issue there, but when he arrived, he saw the local news standing there. They gave him a check for $400 to thank him for his selfless act. To Stacy and Josh, he was a hero.
