A Mrs. Miracle Christmas(49)

    Her companion held the cup in front of her and relaxed, lifting her feet onto the ottoman and crossing her ankles. “I couldn’t have planned it better myself,” she said with a self-satisfied smile.

Helen relaxed against the back of the chair, mulling over Pastor Warren’s message about the angels visiting the shepherds. “The Christmas Eve service was heavenly,” she said to her friend, with a twinkle in her eye.

“Did you enjoy the choir?”

“Oh yes! And no doubt the entire church will be talking about the performance for weeks to come.”

“Didn’t I tell you it would be angelic?”

Indeed, she had. Helen had one question, though. “I heard Zach mention that one of the choir members was the woman who sold him all those baby clothes that were supposedly on sale. That must have been Mercy. And the bells I heard? Was that when Shirley and Goodness got involved? They added to the voices of the choir?”

“Yes, well…My three friends are known to twist the rules. Gabriel attributes every gray hair on his head to them.”

“Angels can get gray hairs?”

“Gabriel can,” she said with a smile. “Thanks to Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy.”

Helen sat and mulled over all that had happened since Mrs. Miracle’s arrival. She marveled at all the small hints of a miracle about to happen, and how they had all led to this moment.

    “It’s a wonder Laurel has yet to believe that God sent you, especially with how clear it all seems to be now.”

“I’m not surprised,” Mrs. Miracle said, looking thoughtful. “Sometimes humans need a spectacular eye-opener.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“One time,” Mrs. Miracle shared, “Mercy was working with a pastor whose wife had died. With her death, he’d lost his faith. He was angry with God and unwilling to reconcile his feelings. Mercy desperately wanted to reach him, and so she had to bend the rules.”

“How so?”

“He was in church, getting ready for the Sunday service and going about his normal routine, when, against all the rules, Mercy appeared to him in her full glory. Dressed in her shimmering gold gown, she spread her feathery wings and stretched out her arms over him in a total representation of God’s love and protective cover provided for the pastor.”

“What happened then?”

“He didn’t notice her.”

“What?” Nana couldn’t believe it.

“He walked straight past her without a single acknowledgment of what was right before his eyes.”

    Helen was amazed at how anyone could be so blind.

Reading her shock, her friend continued. “Actually, it isn’t all that unusual. Just look at your granddaughter and her husband. Unfortunately, humans do it all the time, just as this pastor did when Mercy went on full display. He was so caught up in his grief that he was unwilling and unable to see God’s love for him.”

“Did he ever regain his faith?”

A slow smile emerged. “Oh yes, and once he did, his faith was stronger than ever. In fact, he eventually wrote a book about how Christians deal with grief that became a national bestseller.”

This encouraged Helen. “That’s wonderful.”

“I believe his book is on your bookcase in your room,” Mrs. Miracle said. “You read it after Robert’s passing.”

Helen remembered it now, and the comfort it had given her. How small the world could be, and yet how large heaven must be.

Sipping their tea, they grew silent. Helen had been tired after the service but felt exhilarated and excited after the phone call. Normally, she would be in bed by now, but sleeping was next to impossible.

“Tell me about the baby’s birth mother.”

“Lizzy Bancroft. She’s a lovely teenager, and this decision has been painful, but she’s also learned a precious lesson about the incredible gift of motherhood. She’ll recover with the help of her parents and move forward in her life. After graduation, she’ll stay close to home over the summer and then go to a college nearby so she can watch the baby grow.”

    “She’ll have other children, right?”

“Oh yes. She wants to be a nurse, and after she graduates, she’ll meet and marry a nurse anesthesiologist. Ten years from now she’ll give birth again and become a mother of twins, a boy and a girl.”

“I’m glad.”

Finishing her tea, Mrs. Miracle set the cup aside. “She’ll stay in touch with Laurel, Zach, and the baby. Her parents will be a wonderful support to them, also—an extra set of grandparents to the little girl.”

Learning these small details delighted Helen, as she most likely wouldn’t live long enough to witness all this. At this stage of her life, she marveled at how the days were slow, yet how fast the years seemed to go by.

Mrs. Miracle carried her empty cup into the kitchen. When she returned, she collected Helen’s.

“It’s time for me to go,” she said. “As much as I’d like to stay, Gabriel is waiting to give me another assignment.”

Helen wanted to object. She’d miss her home companion, who had now become more like a dear friend. She had no words to adequately thank her. No words to express how much these last few weeks had meant to her. She’d been blessed. God had given her a special gift in this woman.