A Christmas Miracle: Part 2

I'm standing in the yard after Avery has exclaimed that God answers prayers instantly, and I yell across the yard, "Mom and dad! Thank you so much! This is sooooo awesome!" My mom says, "You are so welcome honey, but wait till you hear the story."

Let me back up a little.... earlier when my parents called, my mom was aware of our nativity dilemma. Basically, my mother and talk everyday. So she's always in the loop when it comes to my life. When I told her that Scot and the kids were working on the lights, she naturally asked did we buy the nativity. I said, "No, we've decided to ask God to provide us with something that honors Him and we are just going to wait and see what He does. Takin a big step of faith!" My mom says, "Oh. OK."

So back to the present. She's walking across the yard with her things and I'm going on and on about how excited I am about our nativity scene. In my mind, I am assuming that after our phone conversation, that she and my dad went to Lowes and bought the nativity. I was a little surprised that God would answer my prayer that way. But I was cool with that. If that's how God wanted to answer our prayer, I'll take it.

BUT that is not what happened at all!

Here is my mom's side of the story....

Saturday night, my mom was thinking of course about the next day. November 21st. A day and a time of her life that is etched deeply in her soul, like burning initials into an old tree. In fact, I'm certain my mom thinks of my sister many times a day. Years ago, my parents commissioned a famous artist in Arkansas to create a painting on their foyer ceiling of my sister and my little cousin John John who also died as a result of the fire. The pictures is of two angels in heaven. Each angel bares a similar resemblance, but isn't identical to my sister and cousin. Along the bottom is a scripture.

Matthew 6:19-21

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I don't think a day passes that she doesn't look up to her ceiling, and I'm sure her heart aches for her treasure in heaven. She told me that this night she was praying about another way she could honor my sister's passing. And the thought of a nativity came to mind. But in her gated, secluded neighborhood no one would really see it. She didn't feel it would be much of a testimony to all six of her christian neighbors. She then thought, we should buy one in honor of Monica and let Scot and Rhonda put in their yard, since they live in a very large, busy neighborhood. It would bless both of us.

Now, one of the amazing twists of this story is she had this thought before God told me to ask Him! So He had already provided for me before I even asked. Which reminds me of several verses.

Psalm 139:1-4

1 You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.

and....

Matthew 6:5-8

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."

Amazing, I tell ya!

My mom tells my dad what she thinks they should do and he agrees. He thinks it's a wonderful idea. So Sunday morning, November 21st, they get up and start getting dressed. My mom is watching a sermon on TV and before it is over, the pastor says to his film crew not to stop filming. The Lord has given Him something else to say. This makes my mom stop and look at the TV screen. The pastor then points at the screen and says, "Some of you have lost children. You have lost a child through some tragedy. I want you to know, your child is waiting for you. In Heaven, your child is there waiting to spend eternity with you. You are sad over the loss here. But there in Heaven you will have ETERNITY with your child."

My mom stood there in shock. What would make him say that? Only the Lord of course, delivering a message to my mom on a very difficult day. Oh how He loves us! Do you know that? He LOVES you! You are His child and He loves you! And He cares, really cares about every little thing you are feeling. He see and knows your thoughts, your needs, and your heart before you even do!

My mom says that after that message she just knew they were doing a great thing. They headed to Lowes to buy the nativity. And they were SOLD OUT! Only the display was left and the guy at Lowes said the displays were not for sale. My mom asked if she could order one, but they weren't able to order this seasonal item. My parents started to walk away and at the same time they both asked, if you can't order one, why can't we buy the display? What's it's purpose if you are sold out and not getting anymore? The guy said he hadn't thought of that and let them have it. As is, of course. No box. No promise that all the pieces were there. But God knew that it was all there. My mom said they loaded up the nativity with the gorgeous christmas wreath she was also giving me from her home and headed to eat lunch.

It was there, at Tim's Pizza that I called her and the earlier conversation took place about the nativity. She said she smiled when I said that we were just going to let God provide, and that she couldn't wait to tell my dad. But she said nothing to me. So before I asked, God provided and before I said something to my mom about asking God, it was already in their truck! Isn't God amazing?!

My mom was blown away when I told her the whole side of my story. We all rejoiced and praised God for our Christmas miracle!

So on November 21st, we put up the nativity scene that God gave us to honor Him and my sister's memory. And we have decided as a family, it will go up every November 21st.

I just can't stop saying it. God is so good!

What are you waiting for? Ask HIM!