A Child’s Prayer

By Norma Vera

A year ago I sat in my daughter’s living room and stared at their beautifully decorated Christmas tree. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. Christmas had always been my favorite time of the year. This time I was struggling to smile. Losing two sisters just before the Holidays had been the hardest thing I ever experienced.

 We loved the Lord and prayed together often. However, during those days I did not know how or what to pray. I felt rejected and abandon by God, even a little angry. Where was He when we needed Him? We stood on His Word and lost the battle anyway.

Though, mentally and spiritually I was going through the motions. Emotionally I could easily fall apart. I felt like God was a million miles away – but I was very wrong. He was as close as our own breath. I could not see Him but seven months later I would know without a doubt how close He always was.

My daughter called me a few days before Christmas and said, “Mom I have to tell you something so sweet. Guess what Emily did?” Emily is her now 3-year-old daughter.

 “We were sitting down for supper when she asked us.”

“ Mommy, Daddy when am I getting my little baby brother?”

Being that my daughter cannot have children she said, “Well Emily we don’t know. I guess you have to ask Jesus.”

“ Emily gets off her chair and goes to the Christmas manger. She picks up baby Jesus and whispers in his ear. When she finished she returns to the table sat down and said,”

“I talked to Jesus.” Then she continued eating her supper.

“Isn’t that cute mom?” my daughter asked me.

I said, “Yes honey, that is very cute.”

We forgot all about it, until this summer. Days before Emily’s third birthday my daughter and son-in-law were asked if they wanted to adopt a little baby boy. A young mom was putting her new born baby up for adoption. Of course, they said yes and now Emily has the baby brother she prayed for.

Jesus was there for Christmas but I could not see Him for my pain. Though the manger Jesus was made of wood and had ears but could not hear, the real Jesus was very present and as close to us as my granddaughter whispered prayer. God send us little Jeremy Ryan in answer to her prayer.

I do not know why God took my two sisters one right after the other. Nor do I know why He heals some and not others. All I know is that He loves us with an everlasting love and He is as close to us as a child’s silent prayer. Life comes in seasons and some seasons have very painful endings. I do not know why.

Here we are twelve months later and I can hardly remember last year’s pain for the joy that unto us a son was given. An unwed mother unselfishly gave us her firstborn son. God bless that young mother.

December 24th Jeremy will be six months old and we love him dearly. This will be his first Christmas and we are so excited.

None of us knew a year ago that God would send us a little angel to fill the void that the loss of my sisters left in our hearts.

What a difference a year makes. Today I am not speechless but I rejoice in God My Savoir and all I can say is “Hallelujah What a Savior!”