A Lesson from Sleeping Beauty in the Snow

The energy capital has a power outage

Gush… Rumble… Gush… Rumble… Gush. I’ll never forget that sound. Panic-stricken after hearing that noise, my husband and I bolted outside our home. The frosty 12 degree air on a Tuesday night stung our faces. Armed with our flashlights, rain boots, and a wrench, we waded through ankle high water to reach our goal: the water valve. After a bit of tugging, my husband turned it off. We could see the pooling water halt under our outdoor patio kitchen and suspected our broken water pipe was there. Several days ago when the forecasters predicted freezing temperatures, we dutifully wrapped our water pipes, opened sink cabinet doors, and trickled our faucets. But to no avail, the pipe still burst. Drowsily, we trudged back inside our frigid home which lost electric power earlier yesterday. The gushing sound from our hallway had resolved. We were cold and exhausted. In a home with no power and now without water. With 2 young children. Shaking my head in disbelief, I thought, “What a stark contrast from yesterday!”

Yesterday – Monday morning – I was thrilled to see a thin sheet of glistening snow. I gleefully dug out my family’s winter gear and bundled my children until they looked like walking marshmallows. My son Noah, 4, made snow angels and my daughter Noelle, 1, squealed as she wobbled in snow for the first time. Later that evening, just as our children had gone to sleep, the power flickered completely out – but our household still had a sense of calm. We hoped the power would return soon. But when Tuesday morning arrived and the power outage persisted, my calm quickly evolved into worry. I was shocked to read this local news headline on my phone: Millions in Texas left without power due to catastrophic power grid failure. I thought, “Aren’t we the energy capital of the world?”

The Beep of the Microwave That Answered a Prayer

So moving forward to this Tuesday evening when we discovered our broken water pipe, I was disheartened and thought, “This freeze has caused so many problems – first the power and now the water!” My husband and I felt discouraged as we thought about Noah and Noelle. Because they wanted to play with their hands, they refused gloves, so their precious fingers were ice cold. Even though they slept under multiple comforters at night, their heads were still exposed, so they both woke up with frigid faces. The news predicted that the electric power wouldn’t be restored until the end of the week, so we were very worried not only about the lack of heat amidst the harsh chill in our home but also insufficient water, milk, and food for our children. Nobody anticipated the freeze would bring these consequences, so we were not prepared. Icy road conditions were unsafe for travel. The kids never complained, but I thought, “How long can we keep this up?” We prayed for the power to return and our water pipe to be fixed soon.

God was present and heard our concern. The very next day – that Wednesday afternoon – a sound caught our attention: Beep. I cried tears of joy! Who thought the microwave beep would carry that much weight, but it meant the power in our home had been restored!

Lessons Learned in the Freeze

Looking back at this trial, one memory stands out: my daughter asleep in my husband’s arms. Noelle cried out from her crib around 3 AM each night our home didn’t have power, likely as a wail for help because of the fierce cold in the room. As soon as my husband heard that cry, he sprinted to be by her side (apparently, I’m a deep sleeper!). When she was enveloped in her father’s strong, warm arms, she snuggled in and promptly fell asleep. This scene aptly describes what this freeze experience taught me.

First, just as my daughter initiated the need for help by crying, we too need to be willing to ask for help. Especially in our Asian culture, we can easily have the mentality “We can do it on our own” or an attitude to not “bother” others. Isaiah 30:19 (ESV) states, “He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.” Our Lord wants us to ask for help – by praying to Him and reaching out to others. He does not want us to live on our own strength.

Furthermore, if our pride gets in the way of asking for help, we are denying a chance for others to be helpful. We sought help by praying and letting others know we needed help. And the Lord answered. Family who had functioning power and water welcomed us with open arms to their home, cooked us a warm meal, let us use their laundry machine and shower, and provided us a place to stay. A kind neighbor offered to rig a garden hose over our shared fence, so we could have access to her functioning water supply. One dear friend trekked to several stores in the early morning to buy multiple water cases for us. And through friends of my parents, a local plumber came quickly to assess our water pipe situation. Within a few days, he was able to cap the leak, and our water was restored! We were shocked and deeply touched to get it fixed so soon because the sheer number of Texans with broken water pipes vastly outweighed the number of available plumbers with supplies.

In addition, amidst a freeze, my daughter peacefully slept in her father’s arms, knowing he would always take care of her. Similarly, during tough situations, we need to be able to rest in our Heavenly Father. Matthew 11:29 (ESV) states, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Instead of worrying about what might happen in the future, we need to rest assured that God is present in our time of need.

And how do we do that? For me, resting has meant taking a step back from the fast pace of life and being intentional with my time to reconnect with God. Every. Single. Day. By devoting a daily portion of my day to God to read the Bible and learn from Him, I can find rest and feel at peace, trusting that God is in control. Earlier this year, I was introduced to a big blessing in my Christian walk, a free reading guide called The Bible Recap that encourages Christians to read the entire Bible chronologically in one year. The program involves reading several Bible chapters a day and then listening to a brief 5 minute podcast summary.

I started the program several months ago, and I can honestly say it has been one of the best investments of my time. I now have a clearer picture of complex passages, and I can take a step back and see overarching themes with different books of the Bible and how one book connects with another. I eagerly look forward to my daily quiet time – there is true joy as God’s character is revealed, layer by layer each day. Have you ever thought about reading the Bible, to truly experience resting in His Word, His entire Word? When you love something, you spend time with it. Everyday. And doesn’t our God deserve this love the most?

I imagine one day my daughter will hear the fairytale of sleeping beauty. But that story is a far cry from reality. Instead, I’ll tell my daughter her own true story of being a sleeping beauty… in the snow. What a good reminder that we will all face difficulties and feel unprepared to handle some of life’s challenges that are well beyond our control. But it’s also a chance for us to actively seek God and others for help and to learn to rest in His Word daily for support. Jesus is our ultimate Prince of Peace who comes to our rescue every time and uses tough circumstances to build our trust in Him and reveal more about His character. Although my daughter won’t have any recollection of the freeze our family endured, it’s a lesson this sleeping beauty in the snow taught me this year… and it’s a lesson I’ll never forget.

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Author Bio:
Joyce Yue Chang, having lived in Houston for the past 15 years, is blessed to have Andrew, Noah, and Noelle fill her life with new adventures and laughter. In addition to serving as a pediatrician, Joyce enjoys cooking, crafting, and exercising. She and Andrew – avid travel enthusiasts – also hope to explore new countries with their children in the future.