Miracles happen every day, and when we least expect it, Christ sends new ones our way. Finances were tight this year, and with Christmas approaching, I wasn’t sure what to do about gifts. So I prayed to Jesus Christ about what to give my grown children and their spouses, and then felt strongly to make presents – fun booklets for each person containing puzzlements that included each family member. I found a book on puzzlements showing how to create word searches, word games, crossword puzzles, logic problems, math and story games, and mazes. Asking each person what their favorite color, movie, game, pet, and childhood memory was fun. Then, I injured my arm and wasn’t able to complete the project. The diagnoses was tendonitis, along with shoulder inflammation and calcium build-up. Making gifts for Christmas seemed impossible.
But God was gracious. Through prayer from friends, resting my arm in a sling, discovering turmeric capsules for inflammation, trusting Jesus as my Healer, and patience (the hardest part), my arm began to heal. Three weeks later, when my arm was about 90 % healed, an opportunity came out of nowhere. A church about 40 minutes away, was looking for an artist to speed paint during a Christmas song for both Sunday services on December 18. This was something I never did before, but wanted to try. So I researched speed painting on YouTube, sketched out a few possibilities, and then stepped out and said yes. I had one week to prepare, but with God’s help it was enough time.
When Sunday arrived, my arm felt pretty good, and my husband carried all the heavy stuff into the church, so I wouldn’t re-injury it. When the time came to paint, I stepped on stage filled with joy and excitement, knowing that since God brought this opportunity, the Holy Spirit would paint with me. The singer began her song as I picked up my brush. It was then that I discovered the new tube of gold paint had an inner safety seal that wouldn’t come off. I wasted almost 30 seconds trying to tug it open. Remembering that there was an old tube in the box, I quickly found it and unscrewed the cap. There was enough paint, but less than four minutes left to the song to finish the art. I applied paint to the canvas as fast as I could, adding the last few strokes as the song ended, and then flipped it right-side up so the congregation could see the finished art. I heard loud gasps, followed by an applaud when the people recognized the pictured that I had been painted upside down was baby Jesus in a manger.
After the second service, the person who hired me to paint wrote a generous check. Not only was my arm completely healed, but I now also had money to buy a few small gifts for each person. And there was still one week left to finish typing, sketching and compiling the family booklets for Christmas. God always has perfect timing, and by the time Christmas Day arrived, the presents were finished, wrapped and under the tree.
It turned out to be the best Christmas ever! Everyone loved both the purchased presents and the puzzlement booklets. They dove into the family crossword puzzle, word search, maze and logic problems, helping each other solve the missing pieces. It was so much fun to finally have a Christmas where the family was in unity with each other. Highest praises to the Lord God Most High, Jesus Christ, who works on behalf of those who trust Him, and brings us together through surprising, creative ways.
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Finding fun and playful ways to keep Christ in Christmas was always an adventure and a challenge when my children were young. There were many children’s books about Christmas, but few of them kept Christ in Christmas. So I decided to write one.
Creating a book was no easy thing. It took years to learn how to write and illustrate for children. But finally, “Christmas in North Woods” has become a reality. My grandson loves the stories and the bird characters. He calls it a “big” book because it contains 12 stories that show kindness, respect, the power of prayer, and celebrating Christ’s birthday.
I wrote the book for children ages 4 to 8, but people of any age can enjoy the merriment of the stories and the light-hearted illustrations. If this is something that interests you, you can find my book on Amazon.com by clicking here.
May the wonder working
miracles of God's amazing love strengthen and bless you this holiday season.
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On an ordinary night, many years ago, an angel appeared to a virgin to tell her that the favor of God was upon her — that she would give birth to the Son of God. On an ordinary night, nine months later, while people slept soundly in their beds, an extraordinary event took place. The God child was born in a stable in Bethlehem, and placed in manger.
The Heavens rejoiced! The angels sang! Some of them were so excited they appeared to the shepherds, who were struggling to stay awake as they watched over their sheep. The lowly shepherds, a people group that others despised, had the honor of being the first to be invited to gaze upon the child. So the shepherds went to an ordinary stable, filled with ordinary animals, and encountered two ordinary people, named Mary and Joseph. They approached the manger and saw, with their very own eyes, the blessing that God had sent — the promised child. Their hearts were filled with awe and wonder at God's gift to mankind.
Every day is an ordinary day. But when we ask the Lord God Almighty to open our hearts to receive His Gift, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. For when we say, "Yes," to Jesus Christ, our hearts become filled with a new hope. We become sons and daughters of the Living God, and we begin a journey of discovery. We start to understand how awesome God really is, and that we are new creations in Jesus Christ. We discover that God the Father has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus, and that He is rejoicing over us with singing. We discover that God is a God of comfort, who heals our broken hearts and equips us for the journey ahead.
May you allow Jesus Christ to heal any brokenness in your heart, this holiday season. And may the joy of Jesus abound in you.
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