Cost of a miracle
Tess was a precocious eight year old when she heard
her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother,
Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and
they were completely out of money. They were moving
to an apartment complex next month because Daddy
didn't have the money for the doctor bills and the
house.
Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it
was looking like there was no one to loan them the
money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother
with whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can save
him now." Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a
glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.
She poured all 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
talking with another man 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
you 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 kind
of miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr.
Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in
neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without
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. A miracle is not the
suspension of natural law, but the operation of a
higher law.....
(A TRUE STORY)