Christmas Miracles (23 page)

The caterpillar, brown and furry,
Caterpillar, in a hurry,
Take your walk
To the shady leaf or stalk.
May no toad spy you.
May the little birds pass you by . . .
To live again . . .
a Butterfly.

       
Love, Erik

The biggest lesson that Sherry learned to pass on to others and to apply in her own life is that at any given instant of any given day, our loved ones may be taken from us—or we from them. Knowing this, it seems that the most important thing we could ever do in life would be to live each moment completely with love and fullness, as if it were our very last to be with our loved ones.

If each morning when we awakened we considered the possibility that this might be the last day that we would see our husband or wife, our son or daughter, our mother or father, our sister or brother, how completely that would change how we would respond to them or interact with them. And that, Sherry believes, is the real message of Jesus and the most important message of all faiths and religions: To live each moment in love and caring, selflessly and unconditionally.

What greater Christmas miracle could a mother receive from her son?

On the one hand this Christmas miracle may not seem like a miracle at all, with the death of a very young, vital, and loving boy who will never again see another first snowfall, another tree being trimmed with sparkling, magical lights of another Christmas. Yet on the other hand, in reality not every miracle brings with it what we call a “happy ending.”

We include this story not to make you sad, but to remind you that while we rejoice in relating those miracles that accomplish acts of healing, happiness, and wholeness of body, mind, and spirit, in our other stories there is a deeper point we wish to make. Perhaps those miracles that often serve to bring about greater awareness, understanding, insight, and compassion, may not always have warm fuzzy endings. Often we can see the furthest at night. When it is dark and we look into the heavens above us, we can see millions and billions of miles away. On the clearest of days, however, we cannot see further than one mile, if we stand on the ground. So too, it is often through the most painful experiences in life that we are drawn closer to God.

The process of sorting through the pain and breaking free into a greater understanding and spiritual depth necessitates a vulnerability to experience the pain and the grace to know there may be a higher purpose and much more—a divine plan of God's Wisdom at work. It might not be our desired plan—it might not be what we would wish for. It might not have the kind of ending that we ourselves would write—if we could—or plan—if we could. But God is a far better author than we could ever hope to be. It only takes looking at the beauty and rhythm of nature surrounding us on earth, and then viewing the vast, complex infinite beauty, order, and design in the heavens above to realize that The Master of Miracles, our Creator, has done an awesome job in creating the universe and is so much more than a genie in a magic lamp, ready to obey our every wish and command for our human, earthly desires. It might be that we don't know best after all. While we may never completely grasp the greater purpose or divine plan for the way things sometimes unfold and turn out in our individual “life dramas,” by having faith and trusting that God does we might draw to ourselves an even greater miracle!

About the Authors

B
RAD
S
TEIGER
is the author/coauthor of over 100 books with millions of copies in print, covering such diverse subject matter as biographies, true crime, and the paranormal. A former high school/college English and creative writing teacher, Brad's early success as a published author launched him into writing full-time and professionally since 1963. In 1978, Brad's book
Valentino
was made into a motion picture by British film director Ken Russell, starring Rudolf Nureyev. Later that same year, Brad co-scripted the documentary film
Unknown Powers
, winner of the Film Advisory Board's
Award of Excellence
in 1978. Brad is considered one of the leading experts in the field of metaphysics and the paranormal. Among Brad's honors: Metaphysical Writer of the Year, Hypnosis Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement Award.

S
HERRY
H
ANSEN
S
TEIGER
, author/coauthor of twenty-nine books has an extensive background as diverse and varied as a writer, creative director for national advertising agencies, magazine editor, producer, model, and actress to studying the healing arts and theology—traditional and alternative. A former teacher, counselor, and an ordained minister, Sherry co-created and produced the highly acclaimed
Celebrate Life
multi-awareness program performed around the country for colleges, businesses, and churches, from the mid-1960s on, and established one of the earliest non-profit schools with new approaches to healing body, mind and spirit—
The
Butterfly Center for Transformation
. Among her honors: International Woman of the Year from Cambridge, and Five Hundred Leaders of Influence-Twentieth Century Achievement Award, on permanent display in the U.S. Library of Congress.

Brad and Sherry have been featured in twenty-two episodes of the popular television series,
Could It Be A
Miracle
. Together their television appearances and specials include:
The Joan Rivers Show, Entertainment
Tonight,
HBO,
Inside Edition, Hard Copy, Hollywood
Insider,
USA network, The Arts and Entertainment (A & E) Channel, and The Learning Channel, among others. The Steigers write a monthly angel column for Beliefnet.com and are frequent guests on international radio talk shows.

Visit the Steigers' Web site at

www.bradandsherry.com
.