Christmas falls in Summer here in sunny South Africa. It is our holiday season where we spend time out of doors, at our pools, the beach or visiting the wonderful tourist attractions our country has to offer.
My story goes back thirteen years now, but the emotions it evokes are still very real. You know that feeling when you remember exactly what you were doing when you received 'the news'...
December 16th is a Public Holiday here and in our family it became the tradition to put up our Christmas decorations on that day.
It was hot and I was in a bad mood because the workmen who had been fitting a sky-light in our family room ceiling...the room where the Christmas tree took pride of place...had not finished on time. I had my three little children, aged between two and seven, nagging at me because they wanted to decorate the tree.
I answered the ringing phone in an aggressive tone...
"Hello Doreen, it's Mum...I've just come from your sister's house...I've got bad news...they found Karyn in the fishpond..."
"Is she dead?" came my stunned response.
"They're at the hospital now...the outcome doesn't look good...please pray!"
My sister's family is a 'yours, mine and ours' situation; with her husband having three teenagers from his first marriage; my sister's seven year old son; and their twenty month old daughter, Karyn.
They had returned from their holiday earlier in the day. Their house was full of people, what with all the children being with them this Christmas...everyone was bustling about unpacking the car, sorting out the washing, getting lunch...when my sister realised that the little one was no longer playing at her feet. Her first reaction was to look out the window at the swimming pool, she wasn't there. She ran to the other window...and to her horror saw Karyn floating face downwards in the fishpond.
In the whirlwind of emotional confusion that followed, Karyn's seventeen year old brother started CPR and was assisted by a neighbour until the paramedics and ambulance arrived. She was convulsing badly, and my shocked sister was advised that this was a sure sign of brain damage...if she 'made it'.
We all prayed like we've never prayed before...for a miracle in this little girl's life...a life that had barely begun.
In intensive care, Karyn was put into an induced medical coma and given extra oxygen for three days. The damage from the near-drowning would only be diagnosed if or when she came out of the coma.
My sister and her husband had to return to the rest of their family. You can imagine their anguish during this time. When the phone rang, their anxiety rose, the nurse on the other end of the line tried to reassure them that all was well...she was phoning because she needed to know what a "tottie" was. Karyn had opened her big brown eyes and asked for her "tottie" ( her bottle of milk). Needless to say they rushed to the hospital, and Karyn was discharged. The Lord had heard the prayers of the faithful and had given them back their precious daughter...in perfection.
That was the best Christmas present we have ever received.
BUT the miracle does not end there;
Karyn, now a beautiful teenager, fifteen next birthday...has an academic scholarship to one of the best High Schools in our country where she consistently achieves an A aggregate.
We are eternally grateful to our awesome, miracle producing God and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 9:18 & 25
18... a ruler came and knelt before Jesus and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 25... He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
All things are possible...only BELIEVE.
Let us Pray;
Dear Lord,
You alone can achieve the impossible,
Create the unbelievable,
And calm the destructible.
We acknowledge the greatness of Your power.
You can raise the dead,
Heal the sick,
Cleanse the sinner,
Through Your grace and love.
We praise You for Your greatness,
We thank You for Your gentleness,
We stand in awe of You
Our miracle producing God.
Thank you Lord for Your caring
yet almighty touch in our lives.
Amen.
