Christmas 1997. Well, there we were. Life, as usual, had
twisted us in knots. We were short on money, long on bills, and the
holiday was around the corner, nipping at our wallets. That year we had a
new miracle in our family. Her name was T* M* and she wasn't old enough
to know that she was a miracle.
I watched
her being born back in September. My younger daughter and her husband
were having tough times so they were living with us… which meant that I
got to see T* every day. She was nearly three months old and changing
almost by the hour.
Back in my more arrogant
days, among the many silly things I said, was one particular gem—that
none of my children would be allowed to move back in with me once they
were on their own. I’ve been forced to eat my words several times. That
Christmas both of my daughters were living with us! In any case, I have
found that God generally gets what he wills, one way or the other. That
June, in a matter of twenty minutes, he simply removed all other
options. God was determined to give me a blessing I didn’t want.
Tough
times can shrivel the soul. On the outside, I carried on, but on the
inside, like the Grinch, my heart was several sizes too small. And then,
God sent T* into my life. Life was still tough. There was little income
and large out-go. But when I came home from work and held my
granddaughter, things were okay. I had forgotten how precious the little
children are. I harbored resentments and bitterness because of my own
failures with my children. With this tiny baby, I was able at last to
forgive myself for my failures and simply allow myself to love her
without expectations or conditions. When I watched her young parent's
faces when they held her and cared for her, then I knew that I did
something right. A miracle. Merry Christmas.
Such a beautiful story! Thanks so much for sharing it with us...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such a beautiful story.
ReplyDelete