I love Christmas time and all the preparation that is involved to get my house ready. One of my favorite things to do is unpack my ornaments and place them perfectly on the tree. The ornament that is the most precious to me is a beautiful and fragile red rose. This rose symbolizes a miracle to our family.
A couple of years ago, I received the scariest news I could have imagined. My baby nephew, Shane, had suddenly become very ill. My sister and brother-in-law took him to Texas City Children’s Hospital thinking he had a cold or the flu. Several tests were run that resulted in devastating news: Shane had Leukemia and was very ill.
My sister and brother-in-law were in complete shock – Shane had only been sick for less than a day. Shane was transported to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, and the doctors anticipated that he would be in the hospital for a very long time. My sister rode in the ambulance with Shane the whole way back to Corpus Christi, and my brother-in-law followed with their other two children.
My sister was not allowed in the back of the ambulance so she had to watch her baby from the front seat. She later confided in me that she kept thinking over and over, “Did I do everything that I could have done for him? Is there anything that I failed to do?”
I’ll never forget going to bed that night waiting for any news. I was hurting for my sister and brother-in-law, and I prayed desperately for my nephew. When Shane arrived at the hospital, the doctors did more tests; and once again, they came up positive for Leukemia.
Shane was placed on the Oncology floor. When I heard the news, I cried and felt so desperate to help. I could not come to terms with the fact that this precious baby was so terribly ill. I have never felt more in need of God, His strength and His miracle.
During this time, it was amazing how so many people prayed for Shane. Our church gave us overwhelming support. On the second day of Shane’s hospital stay, they ran a third set of tests, and a miracle happened: they all came up negative for Leukemia. The doctors could not believe it and did not know how to explain it.
We all knew it was a miracle of God; He had healed our precious little guy. My mom bought beautiful ornaments from the hospital. Every time I unwrap my Christmas rose ornament, I am reminded of God’s grace and His miracles.
Memory Verse:
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
– Job 9:10 (NIV)
Prayer Prompt:
“Lord, thank You so much for the amazing miracles that You have done in my life. I know that I probably will never know how many You truly have done for me. Please remind me to always have faith and trust in You. Please show me people in need that You would like me to pray for, including…”
Contributing Writer:
Laura Emmons
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