Astonishing events that transcend the ordinary laws of nature are understood to be miracles. Many grand miracles revolve around ancient prophets and teach us lessons in faith, but modern-day miracles happen too, reminding us that we are not alone.
Hints from above, Divine intervention, and things magically falling into place are especially noticeable over the Christmas holidays. In the following Christmas miracles, we can hardly help but revere the Creator for His loving guidance and protection.
A Sister’s Last Wish
Judith Preston’s story starts with the death of her beloved sister. Only 43 years old, Jan suffered a brain aneurysm a month before Christmas. Judith wanted to go to her in the hospital, but it was midnight, the hospital was over two hours away, and the weather was bad; besides, the doctors said that Jan was not going to wake up.
In anguish, Judith spoke to her sister in her heart, “Forgive me, Jan, if I’ve ever hurt you. I love you dearly.” Then she tried to rest so she could go see her in the morning. During her fitful sleep, an image appeared of a pair of chandelier earrings — so vivid and real that she knew it must have some meaning. Jan died five days later.
As Christmas approached, she went shopping with her mother and found, in a department store, the exact earrings that she saw in her dream. Hardly believing they were real, she asked to look at them while her mother came to see what she had found.
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She began to explain about seeing the earrings in a dream on that fateful night, and her mother covered her face in her hands. Afraid she had upset her, Judith apologized; but her mother pressed on with an unexpected disclosure.
She had those exact earrings at home, since Jan had bought them as a Christmas gift for Judith before she died.
One Miraculous Rescue Deserve Another
Judy Zwirblis’s story also involves her sister, Joanne, one week before Christmas in 1954. Their father, a member of the Coast Guard, was away, and Joanne’s friends were going skating on the fresh ice of a pond down the road. The eight-year-old girl didn’t own skates and was preparing to sit out the fun when her mother produced, from under the tree, an early Christmas gift of a brand-new pair of ice skates.
Off she trotted to join her friends, while Judy, only five at the time, stayed home with mom. After some practice, Joanne found herself steady on her feet and, exhilarated by the experience of whizzing around in the winter scene, she lost track of time. Her friends had all left before she realized she should start home herself.
In the dimming light, she failed to notice the telling cracks in the ice until it was too late. In an instant she plunged into the icy pond. Screaming for help that was nowhere in sight, her mouth filled with water as the weight of her skates and soaked winter clothing pulled her down.
Around the same time, her father was on a dangerous rescue mission. A ship was sinking in the middle of the ocean, along with its crew. A dense fog had made it impossible to see anything from their plane, and they were low on fuel. The pilot recommended turning back, but the committed rescue-worker asked for five more minutes, and he prayed for help in finding the sailors who would otherwise be doomed.
Suddenly, the fog lifted and revealed several men on the bow of a ship that was sinking fast. They got straight to work and, just as they pulled the last man in to safety, the ship disappeared forever.
Although he had no idea his daughter was in the same danger, the Creator makes no mistakes.
Joanne felt herself pulled out of the water by an unseen hand, only to discover she was sitting alone, yet very much alive, along the side of the road toward home. Her coat was inexplicably dry, as were her skates — which she was still wearing — and her boots were sitting neatly nearby. Had she imagined the whole thing? Her dripping mittens told a different story, as did the warm glow that guided her home on that frigid night.
The Spirit of Saint Nicholas
Peggy King’s story relates how a stranger saved the day for a group of children at a charitable Christmas party. Every year, her local Lions Club hosts a festive celebration, with magic, lunch, and gifts for special-needs children. This year, they found out last minute that the children numbered 60, rather than the 40 they were prepared for.
It was too late to buy more presents, and they didn’t know what to do. Some of those children were unlikely to receive any gifts outside the party, and now they had to disappoint 20 of them. With heavy hearts, she and her husband approached the fire house where the party was to be held. Another man caught up with them, but when they all entered, it was obvious he was not where he meant to be.
“Isn’t the vote here today?” he asked. Peggy had heard there was a vote for a special referendum, but told him that it wasn’t taking place at the firehouse. They were preparing for a Christmas party there. What seemed like an ordinary mistake, however, had brought Major Tom Quigley exactly where he needed to be.
Observing their less-than-cheery demeanor, he asked, “If you’re here for a party, why the long faces?” When Quigley learned about the dilemma he did not hesitate to set it right. As part of the local Marine Corps charitable Toys for Tots program, he just happened to have plenty of toys already collected to suit the purpose.
Just in the Saint Nick of time, a whole load of additional gifts were brought in and hidden under table cloths. The children arrived as scheduled, and nobody was disappointed. It was a magical Christmas for all.
