Grace Amid the Storm: Reflections on Hazel After a Busy Week

This past week was one for the books – full of deadlines, deliverables, and long hours as I worked to complete a few major projects. By Friday evening, I felt both proud and completely spent. Yet, as He so often does, God found a way to meet me in the midst of the exhaustion. When a couple of Sisters invited me to see the new movie Hazel, I said yes without hesitation, not realizing just how much my heart needed that quiet pause.

Hazel is based on the true story of Hazel Miner, a 16-year-old North Dakota farm girl who, during a blizzard in 1920, gave her life to save her younger siblings. The film was beautifully made – a honest, emotional, and grounded in faith. What struck me most was how ordinary Hazel was. She wasn’t seeking heroism or recognition; she was simply a young woman rooted in love, courage, and faith. When the storm hit, her instinct was to protect those entrusted to her care, no matter the cost. Her calm determination and unwavering love became a reflection of Christ’s own sacrificial love, reminding me that holiness is found not in perfection but in the quiet courage of choosing love again and again.

The filmmakers captured that truth with grace. Faith wasn’t something preached, but lived. The blizzard became more than a storm; it became a symbol of every trial that tests our faith, a moment of surrender when trust in God is the only thing left to hold onto. Watching Hazel’s selflessness unfold on screen felt like witnessing a modern parable, a living Eucharist. It moved me to tears and left me pondering how I respond when life’s own storms arise. Do I cling to control, or do I trust that God will provide what I need?

In the midst of such a demanding week, the movie was a profound reminder that our strength doesn’t come from ourselves but from grace. Hazel’s story brought me back to the truth that God calls us to love sacrificially every day to serve faithfully, even when no one notices, and to find holiness in the ordinary moments. Her courage also made me think about the quiet saints around us: the people who give, suffer, and persevere with faith, often unseen.

As I left the theater, walking alongside the Sisters, I felt both humbled and renewed. The week’s noise and busyness faded into perspective. I realized that even in long workdays and deadlines, my efforts can become an offering, an act of love given back to God. Hazel reminded me that in every storm, no matter how fierce, Christ is near. Sometimes He speaks through Scripture, sometimes through silence, and sometimes through the powerful witness of a young girl whose love outlasted the cold.

Even in the fiercest storm, grace is never far away. Love – pure, steadfast,
and self-giving – a will always find a way to shine through the cold.