Growing A Christmas Miracle

It often seems there aren't many miracles you ever get a chance to witness, ..let alone be a part of. This is the story of a chain of events that turned out to be a miracle right here in Bismarck.

A number of weeks ago my wife Kim, myself, and our 12 year old foster daughter were at church. The sermon for the day included the text from the beginning of Jesus' sermon on the mount:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

(Miracle Seed unknowingly planted) For part of the sermon Pastor Nate used an illustration of a student on one of our youth group trips who had taken time and effort to visit with a homeless person at the steps of the church they were staying at this past summer.

(Miracle Seed starts to germinate) Later, our foster daughter asked my wife, "Why are people Homeless." A difficult thing to answer with our own fortunate person background, and considering the unfortunate background of our daughter. When my wife mentioned this to me we thought is would be nice if we could locate a local needy girl, maybe about her age that she could do something special for during Christmas.

(Miracle Seed takes root) Kim started researching where to locate contacts for needy or homeless in Bismarck. It didn't take long to find Carrie Grosz, the Bismarck Public School Homeless Coordinator. Carrie knows lots of homeless children, 50 to 60 on any given day. I had NO CLUE that there were that many homeless students in town, living in cars, in motels, or with friends. We get a list of 21 homeless people that could use some help this year.

(Miracle Seed gets water) I figure that if I haven't heard about this, maybe others haven't either, so I sent out a couple dozen e-mails to family and friends to tell the story, and ask if they would like to help out.

(Miracle Seed starts to Grow) I got e-mails, and phone calls asking how can I help, where do we send money, we forwarded your e-mail, hope you don't mind, we should do this every year. More than 100 people hear the story. I mention it to the NewMen men's group that I am part of at Trinity Lutheran Church, and they decide this is a GREAT Christmas project.

(Miracle has steady growth) More than 50 people, individuals, a bank group, and 2 other church groups donate over $2600 in gifts and cash for gifts. Then 24 adults and children, go shopping, and start wrapping the new winter coats and outfits of clothing for children, gas and oil changes for living alone teens, food coupons for each of the families, notebooks, pens, and pencils for everyone, calendars, personal hygiene supplies, pots and pans, help with this months rent, blankets, fruit and snacks, games and toys for all the children, handmade candy canes from world famous Hammond's Candies for everyone, a movie ticket for everyone, laundry soap for 480 loads of laundry distributed among the families, along with many incidental items and a Christmas card for each.

(Miracle goes full bloom) The gifts are all prepared, they will be turned over to Carrie, our coordinator today. The other day Carrie told me that many of these gifts will be the first Christmas gifts some of these children have ever received. Earlier when she asked the parents and teens what the families might need, some of them became a little emotional, and didn't understand why total strangers are giving gifts unconditionally and specifically to them, why are they so special . (Doesn't this part of the story sound familiar)

Like all miracles, this will last in the minds of the givers and receivers forever. It will also encourage more miracles over the years, and lives will be changed forever. This little event goes to show, "you never know what miracle will lead to another/"

We are truly all blessed.
Dwight Hegel

This was written late December of 2005