A Christmas Miracle

It was nearly Christmas.   I was a teenager & my family had recently moved across the province. Dad was sick and unable to work and Mom and just opened a Christian bookstore. Needless to say money was scarce. Never had we lived so close to my grandparents–in less than an afternoon’s drive we could be there.

Grandma and Grandpa had offered to pay our expenses for the trip and we were filled with excitement until my dad dropped the bombshell.   “We can’t possibly go” he sadly announced.   A chorus of dismayed “WHY’S” and “HOW COME’S?”  filled the room.   Sadly my dad explained that because it was desperately cold, and with the lack of furnace oil we could not leave our rented place unattended even for a few days.  With our funds so low he had not be able to order more.  He had managed to stretch what little we had by towing trees off the property with his snowmobile for firewood;  however the oil was now nearly gone and when that ran out, which it certainly would, there would be no-one at home to keep a fire going and the water lines would freeze.   Sadness permeated the room and tears trickled down cheeks.  Mom busied herself in the kitchen and my sisters and I went to our rooms to nurse our disappointment.  Minutes passed with Dad deep in thought.  He then rose from his chair and said quietly to mom, “Do you have an old rag? I will go and check the oil level one more time and if by some miracle there is still enough oil in the bottom of the tank to run the furnace while we are away we will go”. 

Soon he poked his head back in the kitchen and asked mom for another rag. More minutes ticked by and there was Dad again at the door asking for yet another rag. Curiosity piqued. Mom asked, “WHAT are you doing?” In awe and disbelief Dad told her that the hockey stick he had used to measure the level did not hit the bottom as expected—it had FLOATED!  The tank was nearly full! Tears of joy now filled my parents eyes are they realized the miracle that had taken place.  By then we were all at the back door and together we knelt while Dad prayed a prayer of thanksgiving.   NO one had known of our need.  There were NO fresh tracks in the snow.  NO fuel truck could have delivered to our tank in the snowed-in back yard. Angels don’t leave foot prints. We had wonderful time. There was plenty of food and gifts under the tree. But none of these came close to comparing to the gift of faith we each received that Christmas. “When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing” Psalm 145:16 NLT