A Christmas Miracle!

Snow pictues of Jack, Holly and Nathan from Sunday afternoon.

This is a true story... a TRUE Christmas Miracle! On Saturday, Holly had several friends from college in town for the weekend and they all landed at our home for the afternoon. There was lots of outdoor fun in the snow and wings and homemade pizza and football and babies and toddlers and confusion galore...( I have to accurately give the setting so it won't appear I have dementia!) After dinner, the unscraped streets were freezing up and Ed was anxious for everyone to leave before the roads became worse- thus more confusion in the hurriedly packing up of children and their "stuff".

Holly asked if she could take home the camera card to download some pictures. I suggested she take the whole camera, but she said no, just the card. Apparently, I picked out the camera card- and was holding it as I continued to clean up the room, gathering items that needed to go with the kids. I picked up some wrapping paper and ribbon from the floor, threw it in the fire and continued the process of gathering. Several minutes passed and Holly asked for the camera card. What? Camera card? Was I suppose to have it? This is where it gets scary- because I honestly don't remember ejecting it from the camera. After looking high and low, I decided it must only be in two places- the trash can or the fireplace. I would look through the trash in the morning- it was too cold in the garage and I was too tired.

This picture was taken a few minutes before the tragic clean-up!

The next morning Holly called to say she was coming over to help me look through the trash. I looked outside to see EMPTY trashcans by the road. It was Monday, and Ed, my effieient husband, had taken the trash to the road the night before-I felt sick. Jack's entire first year was on that camera card. I could visualize pictures I had looked at, but never printed or downloaded. GONE. I rarely cry. I cried. I prayed. I asked God to help me put this in perspective- that we hang on to things loosely, that we are just passing through.. but God, I'd love to have a miracle about right now.

Meanwhile, I am walking around frozen (literally) because during the night, we lost our heat (the new unit is only 4 months old). Cold and sad. It was pretty pitiful. The technician was unable to fix the heat unit and we were going to have another cold night. So my sweet, efficient husband prepared the fireplace for another fire. He always cleans out the previous ashes before building a new fire. As he is cleaning, he says.. well here's your camera card!

Ok.... here's the miracle. As he handed me the dirty card it looked completely in tack-it appeared be all there. Unbelieveable. I blew off some ashes and prayed as I slipped it into the computer. IT WORKED. ALL OF MY PICTURES WERE THERE!!! That seems impossible as it was literally in the middle of the fireplace- right in the center of the fire. I have no explanation except that God knew my heart and he delights in our relationship with HIM. Trusting him is way more important than any pictures. He used this for MY GOOD and HIS GLORY. So I am so thankful to him for that special Christmas blessing. Really- it's a MIRACLE! A little something extra from God. :)