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It’s been two months since Hurricane Helene showed her face in Carter County and left a muddy trail of devastation. She destroyed houses and left some families with only their memories.

Numerous bridges and roads were destroyed, many churches and businesses were flooded, and lives lost in neighboring counties. There are scars of flood damage all around. It will be a long time before many areas of Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, and Greene County recover from the losses caused by the hurricane which swept up from the Atlantic through the southeastern states, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.

Yet, we have been blessed in Carter County, especially. Assistance has come from near and far in all forms – food and water, clothing, household items, warm blankets and coats, even shelter for those with flood-damaged homes. People – many of them strangers – have come from all over to help families affected by the flood to clean out their ruined furniture while also helping preserve valuable items. They also shoveled out cakes of mud in flooded homes and removed soiled drywall and flooring. They cleared areas of fallen trees, built bridges. Volunteers have operated food kitchens, but more than anything they have reached out in love and compassion. Also, local churches and communities have reached out to many of these out-of-town helpers, providing them a place to stay.

Although it is Christmastime, we all struggle with something – flood loss, another season of COVID, loss and confusion, etc., making the magic of Christmas more important than ever.

As told in the Bible, an angel of the Lord appeared to shepherds out in a field and said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.”

A baby born in a manger brought an amazing promise to the world.

Christmas represents more than gifts, decorated trees, and shopping. It is the celebration of the promise of a Savior.

It also is the culmination of a holiday season that, despite the hype and commercialism, touches hearts and minds in a way that cuts across religious lines, more so than any other holiday we celebrate in America. It has for generations come to represent a special time of giving, of caring not only for ourselves and our own families but also others in need. 

Although we are still recovering from a flood that has devastated our community, it is a season to celebrate, not because of Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, and gifts, but because we are a community of people that have reached out to one another in a time of distress and need. We have come together, shared with each other, cried with one another, and rejoiced in hope and love.

We know what it is like to live through such a storm as Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, and we can relate in a personal way with what our neighbors in storm-hit areas of the country are living through even now, as the hurricane season comes to a close. 

We also know as we enter the Christmas season that we have been blessed. No one gets a free pass from storms and disasters. Many amazing miracles occurred during the course of Hurricane Helene, such as no loss of life here in Carter County, neighbors coming together to help one another, opening their homes to strangers, etc. It is distressing that natural disasters are often termed “acts of God” while no “credit” is given to God for years, decades, or even centuries of peaceful weather.

This is a special holiday season. It is a gift of renewed hope, new compassion, and love for one another. Let us rejoice and be glad.