Austin Braasch is the RUF Campus Minister at Ole Miss.
Tragically, our snow-globe town of Oxford has turned into a post-apocalyptic movie set. To be practical: our students are fine. We have been checking in; many have gone home, most on campus have power, and those off-campus have found places to rest and eat. Our staff is safe but uncomfortable. Our intern, Caedmon Uhren, had a tree fall through his rental home. Thankfully, some gracious friends have given him a place to stay. Our house seems okay—neighbors checked on it—but we have no power or water, and I suspect our water heater is broken from the freeze.
My football-coach dad always used the phrase, “Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.” There is no “plan” for a catastrophic ice storm. I don’t know when it will be safe to go back, or what I can even do to help yet. We are waiting for the ice to melt before we can wrap our heads around the situation. Personally, I feel unhelpful being in Birmingham. At the same time, I know I am taking care of my family the best I can while waiting for efforts to become organized so we don’t stretch thin the already limited resources in town.
Disaster. Displacement. Discouragement. Disruption.
We’ve had one large group meeting this semester, and it was amazing as approximately 315 students piled into Paris-Yates Chapel. We started a six-week series on the book of Exodus. As I read along, it strikes me how the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness defined by displacement and disruption. I used to see their grumbling as an easy way to feel better about my own righteousness. I would read Exodus 16 and think, “Look at how ungrateful those faithless Israelites are!” Now, I feel some sympathy for them. Living in tents with no AC, no running water, and no easy access to food (at least until the Lord sent daily bread) is not ideal. When life is not ideal, I know exactly where my heart goes: grumbling. (Side note: Did you know that a group of four or more pugs is called a “grumble”? I thought you should know.)
My prayer now for myself, my staff, our students, and our town is that the Lord would meet our grumbling with grace. I pray that this grace would result in gratitude. The snow-globe town has a crack in it now, but perhaps the wonder of a God who provides grace in the midst of our grumbling might start to break through. Our hearts sure need it.
Lord, have mercy on us. Come, Lord Jesus.