A Christmas Miracle … or Two or Three …
2December 30, 2011 by Carly Jones
So I had a few Christmas wishes this year – to hold my nephew for the first time on Christmas Eve, to have a white Christmas, to enjoy family and friends in MI for a whole week, and to hopefully get money toward a new computer.
The journey to my Christmas wishes began with a hitch. There were mechanical problems with my first plane leaving from Burbank, and I only had a 25-minute layover for my connecting flight, so I knew this wasn’t good. I’m glad we didn’t take off with mechanical problems, but who knew when I’d be getting to Detroit now?!
We’re at the ticket counter in Phoenix (about 10 of us), hoping to somehow get to Detroit that night. The news was this… they could get us to Denver for sure but then we’d be stand-by passengers from there to Detroit with no guarantees for arrival until Monday. WHAT?! Christmas in the airport?! I think not!
The lady at the counter called us up one by one (or couple by couple) to talk through our options. A couple in front of me had a last name I recognized. So I asked them if they were somehow related to my friend who I had worked with at SpringHill Camps years ago. Believe it or not, the guy was her brother!!! They live in Burbank – not far from me – and needed to get to a place not all that far from my brother’s where I needed to be! (Christmas miracle #1)
We got to talking and got creative with our chance to get to Detroit that night. After talking with the customer service lady and calling numerous shuttle services and car rental places, we had a cost effective solution that would guarantee us to be with family on Christmas. We flew to Columbus, rented a car, and drove to Detroit where we turned in the car and our families picked us up.
I was just in time to hold my nephew on Christmas Eve at 11:30pm! (Christmas miracle #2)
So we didn’t get to celebrate our family Christmas the way we planned on Christmas Eve, but it’s cool, we shifted the plans to Monday.
My other wishes have also come true -
1 – time with friends and family has been fabuloso! Jenny and I went to GR 
and enjoyed a night with quite a lot of friends all in one place at one time. And at different points throughout the week I was with my whole family either at my mom’s or my brother’s… and my dad, Cathy and all the boys even made the trek from Chicago-land!
2 – the snow came! And although it wasn’t for Christmas day, I still got to experience the joy of it this week.
3 – my family spoiled me and I now get to purchase my new computer, with little to no cost for me!
But let me remind you of the first Christmas miracle – the one that is the reason we celebrate December 25th year after year – with a little poem from the card my daddy gave me…
If you look for me at Christmas
you won’t need a special star –
I’m no longer just in Bethlehem,
I’m right there where you are.
You may not be aware of Me
amid the celebrations -
You’ll have to look beyond the stores
and all the decorations.
But if you take a moment
from your list of things to do
And listen to your heart, you’ll find
I’m waiting there for you.
You’re the one I want to be with,
you’re the reason that I came,
And you’ll find Me in the stillness
as I’m whispering your name.
Love,
Jesus
May this poem carry you into 2012, and be a reminder to you that all year Jesus is whispering your name, and longing for your response.
Happy New Year!
love the christmas miracles as they brought you home to share family time and safley too. Great time for all.
[...] In my post after Christmas, I told you my crazy trip from Burbank to Detroit on Christmas eve. I explained the adventure of being delayed in Burbank (for safety reasons), missed my connection in Phoenix, met some strangers, flew to Columbus with them, and drove to Detroit with them all so we could be with our families on Christmas. (See full story here.) [...]