Christmas Miracles (18 page)

“Oh, shopping for Christmas presents is going to be so much fun! I almost feel good enough to go out right now so we can pick out a real tree and get some more lights so we can decorate inside and out!” Sarah gleefully said, not giving Daniel a chance to respond.

Then suddenly she realized he wasn't responding. Looking into his eyes she could tell something wasn't right.

“Oh, did I spoil the surprise? Wasn't I supposed to know about the raise and the Christmas bonus yet? I'm sorry, sweetie, I am just so happy!” she said while hugging him with a near smothering grip.

Daniel didn't have the heart to tell her. He rationalized that it was more important to keep her in good spirits—which he believed to be an immune-boosting strategy. He would at least give her a few days to get stronger and then he would tell her. Now, he just had to pray the kids didn't say something first. He knew if he told the kids not to . . . that's just when they would slip and say something. He managed to give her a strong hug back and a broad enough smile—along with a twinkle in his eye and a wink that seemed to avert any further questions— and said nothing more, at least, not immediately.

“Oh Mommy, I told Daddy not to worry, that God told me you would get all better. I am sooo happy you are home for Christmas!” Jonathan squealed as he went to hug her around the waist, stopping when he remembered how big she was with child. Then he gently kissed her tummy and said, “I'm happy you are here too, little brother or sister.”

Sarah acknowledged his joy while patting him on the head and rubbing his back, then suddenly grabbing his hand and putting it on her tummy. “See, he or she heard you, Jonathan. The baby is kicking, feel.”

Sarah turned to Daniel and said, “I really think everything is going to be just wonderful. The baby seems fine!”

Katie's motherly instinct had her fluffing up the pillows as she had just retrieved a blanket and was making a cozy place for Mom to sit on the couch in front of the television. “Can I feel too, Mom?” she gingerly asked, feeling like she might be too big for such things. “Of course, darling, let me just sit down in the perfect little place you have readied for me, and I think you will feel the baby still kicking,” Sarah said as she stroked Katie's long pony tail that was topped by a big, fancy red-lace bow. “My, don't you look pretty, Katie! Did you wash and brush your hair all by yourself?”

Daniel balked. “Ummm, well, we had a little help. . . .” he began to stutter, as Sarah quickly caught on and coyly smiled her unspoken acknowledgment that help was okay, too. Daniel held his breath and hoped that the kids wouldn't pick up on that and spill the real extent of it. They didn't. The baby kicking again saved the day, as that became the talk of the eve until bedtime. Katie and Jonathan were guessing and bantering back and forth if it was going to be a girl or a boy and what they wanted as names for either. Sarah and Daniel made the decision to not find out the gender, but looked forward to the surprise.

Soon it was time to tuck the kids into bed, say prayers with them, and then get ready for bed themselves. Both husband and wife decided that it would be wise to go to bed early, as they were both exhausted and the reality about how long Sarah had been gone had finally sunk in.

Daniel was up early the next day, and had the table set for breakfast with pancakes, freshly made and keeping warm in the oven. The smell of hot coffee and sausage and bacon sizzling on the stove, awakened the rest of the family in a hurry.

As Sarah shuffled out to kitchen with her wooly slippers dragging and wrapped in her thick winter robe, she kissed her husband good morning, and said, “Wow, how long do I get to be pampered like this? Did they give you the week off, too?”

Daniel kissed her back as he motioned for her to go ahead and sit down, while he pulled out her chair and asked Katie to pour the orange juice.

Feeling very guilty that all the insinuations were bordering now on lies, he didn't think he was going to be able to wait to tell her the truth. Christmas was only four more days away, and he knew she would want to go right out and do shopping and decorating—even though she realized she was supposed to be taking it easy.

“Honey, there is something I really need to talk with you about,” he murmured in a low voice, feeling that all-too-familiar queasy feeling in his stomach again.

Once again, he was saved by a child, this time it wasn't the unborn child's kicks, but little Jonathan knocking over his glass of orange juice. Juice ran all over the table, onto Katie, and spilled down onto Mom's robe. The panic of the cold juice everywhere interrupted the continuing glum thoughts in Daniel's head, and he was most grateful. Something he never thought would happen. He was actually happy that one of the kids had spilled something at the table! He knew he would have to face the truth-telling soon, but for now . . . saved by the mess!

Many hours later, when all were dressed and settled into the newness and excitement of Mom being home and Christmas around the corner, Santa's impending visit was brought up.

“Well, ah . . . Sarah, I really do have some things I have to say to you, and I guess I'd better do it now,” Daniel said.

Sensing it wasn't good news by the look on her husband's face, Sarah suggested to Katie that she take Jonathan and go watch television for a little bit while she and Daddy talked—then they would go shopping. Katie took Jonathan by the hand and went into the family room, wanting to please her Mother.

Daniel said a silent prayer as he sat Sarah down on the couch, cushioning her back against several pillows, which he fluffed to support her head and neck. Then, taking her legs, he stretched them out, seated himself at the edge of the couch, and started to remove a slipper and give her a foot rub. “Ooooh, that is just what I need.” Sarah groaned with pleasure.

The words came more easily to Daniel after he prayed. It was as though the faith that pulled him through the whole ordeal was stronger than ever now, and he believed that God would give Sarah the strength as well, to face their uncertain future together. At least they had each other, their health back, and two wonderful children and all indications of a third coming soon.

Tears streamed down Sarah's cheeks as Daniel told her the scenario as it unfolded from the beginning; about his job loss, sense of despair, turning to Father Cassidy, and then the miracles that came from God through the church. He told of all the help and gifts they had received, from food to groceries left on the steps to money in the mail to volunteers too numerous to mention, who babysat, cleaned, cooked, and did the laundry.

“I didn't want you to worry and I knew you would, so I thought it would be best not to say anything at all until you were stronger, but . . . well, I just don't feel right with you thinking the opposite . . . a raise, Christmas bonus, and all,” he said.

Sarah wiggled her toes out from under Daniel's loving massage and reached over to give him a hug. “Oh, you poor darling,” she said softly as tears continued to flow.

No more words were spoken as they remained in the embrace for what seemed an eternity—until the baby kicked and they both laughed out loud.

At that moment the phone rang. Daniel got up to answer it, as the phone was in the other room.

When he returned to the living room, his ear-to-ear smile revealed the call to have been a good one. It was Father Cassidy asking Daniel's permission to give his phone number to a parishioner fairly new to the church. The man had called Father Cassidy because he had heard that Mr. Gomez was highly skilled in a particular area, and he was looking for someone to manage a division of the company he was transferred to the area to oversee. Later that day, more was learned about the potential job, but the interview would not be until the first of the New Year.

The Divine love and mercy they had received through Sarah's miracle healing, and the overflow of love and generosity of the church, overwhelmingly touched them both—at the same instant—as they sat together holding hands. Daniel explained the phone conversation regarding the possible future employment to Sarah. “God has truly blessed us with so much,” he said, “let's give a prayer of thanks.”

Bowing their heads and still holding hands, they each prayed out loud, then hugged and cried again.

“Surely there are no gifts greater than those we have already received that we could have for Christmas,” Sarah said. “But what will we do about gifts for the children?”

“Don't worry about us,” Katie shouted, betraying her peeking and listening from just around the corner. “We'll be okay, Mama, we'll still have presents under the tree, you'll see!”

Katie's words were barely out when Jonathan beat her to the couch. “Yeah, you'll see,” he added, not really knowing with certainty what was meant by that.

“Come on, kids,” Daniel blurted out with an exultant tone in his voice, indicating his inner feeling that things truly would be okay, and happy for the way his family was responding to this crisis now nearly passed. “Come sit down by Mommy and Daddy. Let's have a little family talk,” he said as he scooted over, making room on the couch.

He then proceeded to explain the situation in more detail, as much as he felt they were capable of understanding, as Sarah chimed in now and then with an affirmative “We'll get by with God's help.”

After another group hug, Katie took Jonathan by the hand as she told Mom and Dad they had some secret things to do for Christmas. Off they went, asking to have, “No peeking.”

To this, Daniel and Sarah laughed with the sense that they had done all right so far in raising their kids, if they could be that loving when they were just told there wasn't any money for Christmas gifts. Maybe, though, just maybe, there might be a little after Christmas.

Sarah resisted her motherly concern and instinct to check in on what the kids were up to as she could hear things falling in first one room and then in another, and she knew they were going from room to room and even to the garage, rummaging and getting into who knew what kind of mischief. Knowing their little hearts were filled with good intentions, Sarah controlled the urge to check in on them.

She curled up on the couch with the blanket Katie had brought for her the night before to warm her and fell into a sleepy nap, while Daniel “took care of some things” in another part of the house.

Several hours later, Katie emerged with Jonathan following her, helping to drag and push a large box. They had filled an empty box she found in the garage with “secret” gifts to put under the tree—if and when they had one. Carefully “hiding” the box of goodies in the front hall coat closet, she decreed that it should stay there “until the right time” and requested that nobody peek under the blanket she had spread over the treasures.

Daniel had been in the attic and outside in a storage shed he built to hold the kids' bikes and some yard tools. He came into the living room just after Katie and Jonathan managed to get their Christmas goodies into the closet. Seeing their dad with his arms full of boxes and strands of Christmas lights dangling from his neck and hanging off both his arms, the kids let out a shriek that would have awakened the neighbors, had they been deaf!

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!” they squealed. “Yaaaaay . . . Yaaaay . . . can we help?” They all pitched in and strung the lights around the windows, hung decorations, and put up their artificial Christmas tree.

Sarah felt so good that she said if the kids wanted to, maybe the next day they could do some Christmas cookie baking—even as she said it she was hoping they had enough ingredients on hand.

“It would be wonderful if we could say thank you to all the wonderful people who gave so much to our family,” she added. “I have an idea of how we can make little gift bags by coloring and decorating paper lunch bags. We'll fill each one with our family Christmas baked goods and tie a big bow on each one. How does that sound?”

Jonathan and Katie were so excited about the prospect of making gifts, they wanted to start right in on decorating the bags, which they did.

For the next two days, the entire family baked special Christmas cookies and decorated gift bags. Never had all four of them enjoyed such closeness and quality time together. They had good talks about many things that deepened the bond between them. Soon they had the most amazing lineup of colorful Christmas bags filled with goodies—each with a special note of thanks and giving off the most divine fragrances of cinnamon, peppermint, and vanilla.

Since it was Christmas Eve, Daniel said he would bring the gifts to the church, where Father Cassidy would make arrangements for delivering them. Sarah was advised not to risk exposing her still sensitive immune system to crowds, so the Gomez family planned their own private Christmas service at home.

When Daniel arrived back home, the family read the Christmas story from the Bible and recounted the supernatural miracle of Sarah's healing and being home for Christmas. Katie pulled out the mystery box from the closet, which was full of the things she and Jonathan had found around the house and wrapped with pictures they had colored so they would have some gifts to put under their tree.

Sarah and Daniel were astonished that not a single word was mentioned about Santa Claus coming that night when the kids were tucked into bed.

Several hours later, as they were brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed themselves, they thought they heard bells ringing outside.

“Did you hear that?” Sarah asked. They listened very intently and all was quiet.

“We must be hearing things,” Daniel said, then added, “but I sure thought—”

He hadn't even finished his sentence when they distinctly heard what sounded like loud sleigh bells, and then the doorbell rang. They both ran to the front room and peeked out the window. Not seeing anything, but just to be sure, Daniel opened the front door to behold a huge plastic bag with red and green and stars all over it.