As our community continues to move forward after being shocked, overwhelmed, and devastated by the effects of Hurricane Harvey, I have heard so many people talk about how they feel stuck. It’s almost as if we are in some kind of time warp where time has somewhat frozen and, even though it’s December, we still feel like it’s August. The past few months have been a whirlwind and for some, a blur. We have gone through the motions and made it further than anyone could have foreseen back in August. Progress has been made, yet there is still so very much left to do.
A few nights ago, I was reading in my devotional and came across a poem the author referred to called “The Age-Long Minute” by Amy Carmichael. She used it to describe a similar experience in which she was in a waiting period and felt like time was standing still. She felt like things would never get better and that God was silent. I thought to myself, “That’s it; that’s the phrase we’ve all been looking for!” We have been living in an age-long minute! It feels like we are stuck in a moment in time and even though we keep going and go through the motions every day, nothing really changes.
Life has been so crazy since August 29th. I can still so clearly remember hearing the unrelenting rain and constantly checking to see how flooded things were. I remember the constant tornado warnings and staring at the weather channel. I remember getting calls and texts from people whose houses were flooding and going out to rescue some. I remember standing at the end of a well-known, residential boulevard and helping people out of boats as they were being rescued. I remember those boats, driven by civilians, carrying the residents of two entire nursing homes to safety and working alongside so many members of the community as we tried to take care of them. The helicopters, the army coming in, the makeshift shelters popping up and donations pouring in. All of it felt like something out of a movie. But it was real, and we were all running around like crazy trying to help in any way we could. It was traumatizing and beautiful all at the same time. It’s something I will never forget. Ever since then, life has gone on. Schools reopened and people went back to work. Houses were gutted and families who were affected went to live with friends or relatives. Life took on a new kind of normal, and we went on. Still, the past few months have felt like one incredibly long minute that just won’t end. Our brains can’t process it and it makes us feel confused and weary.
In the wee hours of the morning on December 8th, that age-long minute snapped. Right here in Southeast Texas, it started to SNOW! It stuck to the ground and covered everything in the most beautiful, freezing cold powder that was the purest white. Our weary community got out of our beds and ran out to play, rejoicing in a way that a lot of us thought we might never again! Children’s heartfelt prayers were answered as people young and old built snowmen, made snow angels, ate snowflakes, had snowball fights, and walked around in awe and wonder. This weary, desolate land turned into our very own winter wonderland! Tears of joy were shed and there was a renewed spirit of energy and hope in the air all day long. It was the most beautiful experience.
I’ve been reflecting on the fact that the snow came the same year as the hurricane, and I don’t believe for a minute that it’s a coincidence. I believe it’s perfectly parallel to the story of the very first Christmas, the night that Jesus was born. In studying the scriptures, we find that Jesus was born in one of those age-long minutes. Apparently that’s not a new thing. At the time of Jesus’ birth, God had been silent for 400 years. The world was lost in darkness and losing hope of ever receiving the promised Messiah, the Savior. I can imagine that the people were going through the motions and feeling frozen in time. I think of the shepherds sitting out in the fields just like they likely did every night. They had to have felt so hopeless and just plain bored. I wonder if they sat there thinking about whether life really had any greater meaning or if this was as good as it was going to get. I can almost feel the yearning that might have been within their hearts as they tried to grasp something that just wasn’t there. Perhaps they prayed “God, are You listening? Do you even care anymore? Have You just left us here alone in this dark, weary world?” And then, the dark night was pierced with the most brilliant light as an angel appeared to them. Talk about shock! The angel tells them of a Savior who has been born on that cold, dark, weary night. He tells them to go find Him and worship Him. And they do. They get up, just like we did when it snowed, and ran to Bethlehem to find the baby King. They didn’t know all the details, but they knew that things were about to change.
We know more than the shepherds did that night. We know that Jesus was born to save us and give our lives meaning. He broke the silence of God and gave us a reason to rejoice. Just like the Southeast Texas snow, Jesus came right in the middle of that age-long minute to restore our hope and remind us that God is with us. He’s not silent and He’s not far away; He’s right here with us! Christmas is definitely a time to rejoice, but not for the reasons society has given us. We don’t have to try to force ourselves to be holly jolly or feel guilty that we’re not excited about decorations or Santa’s arrival. We have much more reason to rejoice, and it has nothing to do with our circumstances. Jesus has come, and that means God is with us. Forever. We have HOPE and the silence has been broken!
If you’re having trouble getting into the “Christmas spirit,” I would encourage you to dwell on the true meaning of Christmas instead of society’s take on it. This can be a very stressful time of year and we often get caught up in trying to buy the perfect gifts, host the perfect party, and maintain a positive, cheery disposition. But that’s not what this season is really about. This Christmas, remember that we have an everlasting hope because of Jesus. Let the snow remind you that the age-long minute has been broken and that Jesus always meets us right in the middle of our weariness. Life may not be perfect right now, but we will keep going and we will recover. In the meantime, we don’t have to pretend. We need only to hold onto Jesus and rejoice in what He accomplished on the cross. And it all started on that first Christmas in the middle of an age-long minute.
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