Christmas Miracles

by Kari Diane Pike

Happy Christmas week to all of you...

It's getting late. After an 11 hour drive and a hot dinner, I parked my body at Maui Chill in Highland/Lehi, Utah to write this post. The owners were very kind and loaned me the security key since they don't technically have their WiFi set up yet. I am grateful for their kindness and generosity. I am grateful for wet, but not icy roads and tempered weather so that we arrived to our destination safely. And I am grateful for Christmas miracles of all kinds.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that my mother is ill with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.. Last week, the surgeon removed her spleen, where the cancer seemed to be concentrated. It has been a tough road for her. Being diagnosed for the third time with this disease really took the fight out of my mom. After the surgery, she seemed to sink even deeper into a void of depression. And then an angel named Larry appeared.

Larry volunteers at the hospital every Wednesday. He is an old friend from when we lived in Arizona before. He chatted with my mom for a bit, and sensing her struggles, he shared a story. About 13 years ago, Larry died. He had a massive heart attack and passed to the other side...for a short period of time. He remembers two things from that experience. Larry was shown how he chose the many challenges he was facing at that time because of what he would learn from them and he was told to never forget that love is the key. He shared his testimony of eternal life and of the Savior and the plan of salvation. We laughed and we cried as we chatted.Every day since Larry's visit, I've watched my mom's countenance brighten. That very night she decided she needed to get out of bed and sit in a chair to eat dinner.

I am grateful for answered prayers and for angels, both those from heaven and those on earth. There are miracles all around us every day. Thank you for being a part of the miracles in my life...

Have a happy and blessed New Year!
hugs~