The drudgeries of life
Monday, August 22, 2005
The cost of a miracle
It's not very often that I find my eyes welling up with tears that I'm afraid to shed! But after reading this beautiful story that I received in the mail yesterday, I couldn't help it! Do read it! It goes as follows:
A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle."
" I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.
" His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.
"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"
"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."
"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. "
He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."
That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents .... plus the faith of a little child...
In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need...
A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law....
I know you'll keep the ball moving!
A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!
"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle."
" I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.
" His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.
"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"
"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."
"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. "
He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."
That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents .... plus the faith of a little child...
In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need...
A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law....
I know you'll keep the ball moving!
17 Comments:
thats a lovely story. :) god bless the neuro surgeon. n ofocurse the little girl. i'm a firm beliver in hope and hope can pull off miracles for sure.
That's a great story man! I guess God has His own ways of helping us out!
Have read this before... but yes, teh reminder was good! So, any miracles lately in your life?
All miracles r possible wid luvd ones arnd!
Ah so touchy ! Mushy mushy Sourji :p
Oflate i have also started believing in miracles and power of hope!!
hoping dat some miracle happens in my CAT exam :P
really awesome and touching story Steve. after reading this i think even i can expect some miracles in life.. everything is about faith in God..isn't
I must say, that story almost got me too teary eyed. Tell you what? I too had a strong urge of copying it n pasting it into my page too :-p. But then I decided against it.
Truely, Miracle was what created this universe, miracle is what runs this cosmos. Bless the child and the surgeon too!!
@divz
u said it! damn hard to find such neat ppl on this planet these days! me too dependent on hope most of the times...
@mirage
u said it, megz! God has His own ways... it's up to us to figure them out!
@sudipta
hmmm... now letz see! miracles mirales *scratch scrath*?!?! not really! what abt u???
@naresh
aye aye to that!!!
@bobli
bugger :x!! grrr
@arpit
hoping dat some miracle happens in my CAT exam
amen to that :D
@sameer
sure dude! it's always good to have faith in God!
@shayon
u're my kinda dude, mate!
and go ahead n paste d story in ur blog... don't worry! i won't sue u for plagiarism :P!
thanks for dropping by!
Great post man.. faith is what pulls u through through the toughest situations..
keep writing well...
Its really a lovely story....
can u give me the address of the Drug Store ??..lol...
great post pal...
Thanks a lot dude...now that you've allowed me, I'll surely post it in my blog too. Good words & good intentions should always be shared n spread, I feel.
Well by the way, what did you mean in my blog that it's getting too mushy for you to chicken out? Aren't you gonna be visiting nemore?
Cheers, mate!
sorry!! but these kind of miracles happen in stories only...ok, its good to be optimistic, but expecting miracles??It doesn't happen, atleast not in something like neurosurgery.
an optimist story!!!!
but still faith is a "god" weapon we hav against all odds
lovely story!
n1n1n1 ;)
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