A Frigid Christmas That Turned Warm

Brace yourselves! The cold weather is coming, and with it snow –  and ice –  and car accidents – and frozen pipe lines. I was from North Wisconsin and had a tendency to scoff at the cold weather warnings in Texas and Oklahoma.

It was 1983, heading into Christmas time.  And then the water lines to our washing machine froze.  I was not used to a pier and beam house where most pipes are exposed under the house.  Our home up north had a basement and any exposed pipes were in the relative heat of a basement.  Well, we had to fix that.

It was a short vacation time for us – starting December 23.  We were ready to battle the elements and head north to Tulsa, Oklahoma to spend Christmas with my wife’s mother.

We left from Sherman, Texas after work, in late afternoon with our three kids and a dog.  The snow had started in slow, lazily drifting huge, lacy-like flakes. As we headed north, the snowflakes no longer floated down slowly, but came faster, accumulating quickly on the ground.  The depth of the snow grew.  Roads became slicker.  Visibility decreased.  But this was Christmas! We had to make it to Tulsa.

The traffic was not heavy.  Few people wanted to hazard their lives in this weather. We kept moving – slowly, but still making progress.  Landmarks that we could actually see were scarce.  Finally we could see signs that we were near the end of our 200 mile journey.  Occasionally we could see the distant lights of the Tulsa skyline.

Then the dream of a wonderful Christmas morphed into a chug and sputter of the engine. There was what appeared to be smoke and hot steam emanating from the front of the car. (We found out later that the radiator had developed a leak.) Our trip was paused abruptly.  We weren’t going to go anywhere.  I managed to coast to what I hoped was the shoulder of the barely visible highway.

There was very little traffic. But I hoped and prayed that I could flag someone down.  I turned the hazard lights on. I wrapped up as warm as I could before stepping out into the sub-zero weather.  The sparse, slow-moving  traffic passed us by,

Finally, a car stopped.  The woman driver was alone and cautiously rolled down her window enough to talk.  I explained our plight as I told her of my wife and three kids in the car that was rapidly losing all heat.  She agreed to take us into Tulsa, but when I told her there was also a dog, she almost backed out.

My wife, three kids, and the dog moved into her car as I struggled to transfer as much luggage as possible.  The lady drove us right to the door of Grandma’s home, and we thanked her profusely.

But our adventure wasn’t over!  Grandma’s furnace had quit and burned up, her water pipes were frozen, and her car, which we would have to use for the next few days, had a dysfunctional heater.  (No, I didn’t imagine all these difficulties to dramatize this story.  This is all painfully true.)  And I spent a good amount of time under her double-wide mobile home, wrapping electric tape around her water pipes.

But the Lord was gracious to us.  We were able to take care of the difficulties.  On Christmas day, all of us attended a beautiful Christmas service and had a wonderful celebration time at Grandma’s home with Christmas music and a great gift exchange.  The day after Christmas, my wife’s brother and family came, and we celebrated Christmas a second time.

Jesus turned this frigid Christmas into a joyful, warm time!

We were able to rejoice in agreement with the angels who proclaimed, “good tidings of great joy” – – “for unto you is born this day in the city of David A Savior, which is Christ Jesus the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).

In all the difficulties, we could express with Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he (the Lord) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

We can most surely affirm,” I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. (Psalm 119:75). God does everything for His good reason in us, and we are thankful.

At this Christmas season, we are especially thankful for the message of Christ, who is God in the flesh, Emmanuel.  This is my Jesus, My Savior.  ”But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:5-6)

“ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Do you know Jesus?  He can save you from your sin and give you a new, abundant life and an eternity in heaven with Him.  Trust Jesus today and experience the true meaning of Christmas!