Tess
was a precocious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about
her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they
were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next
month because Daddy didn’t have the money for the doctor bills and our house.
Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was
no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with
whispered desperation, “Only a miracle can save him now.”
Tess
went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the
closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully.
Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for
mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap,
she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store
with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the
pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess
twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with
the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.
Finally
she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did
it!
“And
what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m
talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he said
without waiting for a reply to his question.
“Well,
I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed
tone. “He’s really, really sick… and I want to buy a miracle.”
“I
beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.
“His
name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy
says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”
“We
don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the
pharmacist said, softening a little. “Listen, I have the money to pay for it.
If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”
The
pharmacist’s brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little
girl, “What kind of a miracle does you brother need?”
“I
don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really
sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I
want to use my money.”
“How
much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago. “One dollar and eleven cents,”
Tess answered barely audibly. “And it’s all the money I have, but I can get
some more if I need to.
“Well,
what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents – the exact price
of a miracle for little brothers.” He took her money in one hand and with the
other hand he grasped her mitten and said, “Take me to where you live. I want
to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of
miracle you need.”
That
well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specialising in
neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn’t long
until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking
about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
“That
surgery,” her Mom whispered. “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would
have cost?”
Tess
smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost… one dollar and eleven cents …
plus the faith of a little child.
Author: Unknown
How often in our life we loose faith in God when troubles come in our lives. We need an instant sign or miracle to happen in our lives. The question is how much strength do I have when I am troubled with problems in my life? Do I loose hope and trust in God or does doubt arise in my mind in the existence of loving God? Do I blame God for all that happens in my life? God need not to prove through miracle that he/she is God; He is God therefore he/she does MIRACLE.
Quote: Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient ineffective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships. -Stephen Covey
