“PRECIOUS JEOPARDY” How A Seemingly Life Threatening Situation Led To A Hurting Family’s Christmas Miracle WITH a great Christmas song by Mariah Carey
Another story in our special series—DAYS OF MAGICAL and MIRACULOUS CHRISTMAS STORIES for sharing and reading aloud to all of your beloveds PLUS a sweet audible Podcast version narrated by Chinmayan!
This is our WEEKDAY edition of THE DAWNING LIGHT NEWS # 1237
Our FREE version of our “Daily Journal of Transformational Writing”
CHILD PEACE STORIES Section # 29
Inspiring READ ALOUD STORIES for children of all ages…
Selected, edited and published by Chinmayan…May your Christmas be bright, loving and full of kindness and miracles of every kind as these magical stories for you and your family and everyone on earth!
All images in this story courtesy of Pixabay
ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL SERIES OF “CHILD PEACE STORIES”TO CELEBRATE THE LOVING HEART OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
To celebrate this Christmas Holiday season,
we are launching a special series of magical and miraculous stories
That are perfect for READING ALOUD to children of all ages
With the publishing of 22 “Child Peace” stories, one for
Each day from now until Christmas Day.
I have been collecting these stories for a long time…
all from different authors, and different times…
All stories you probably have never heard of
But which are well written, powerfully heart opening and
Inspiring stories that will move you to tears….
These special stories about amazing acts of kindness,
Caring, compassion and Love have been carefully chosen
And edited by me to help you get into the Christmas spirit…
This series of mind blowingly good stories is our
Christmas Gift to our wonderful community of readers,
Subscribers and supporters and everyone who discovers them
Here in our newsletter and labor of Love “The Dawning Light”….
During these crazy and tormented times, and with all the
Fears and uncertainties about what our future will be like,
I feel it is vitally important to tap into the true meaning
And purpose of Christmas which to my mind and heart
Always is, always has been and always will be to open
Our hearts to share Love, Caring and compassion in
Daily life now and in all the days of change and challenge ahead!
A Wonderful story in our special series…DAYS OF MAGICAL and MIRACULOUS READ ALOUD CHRISTMAS STORIES for children of all ages…
The Tenth story in our special series…
One great story everyday from now until Christmas Day!
PRECIOUS JEOPARDY—How A Seemingly Life Threatening Situation Led to A Family’s Christmas Miracle
By Yeshe Gyamtso
Phil Garland was totally depressed and disgruntled on one particular Christmas Eve because he had just lost his job.
His family’s financial situation had been difficult enough even when he was working full time at a job he hated —but now it seemed impossible.
That evening his wife Shirley tried to include Phil in some of the Christmas Eve activities with their children, Polly and Junior, but Phil just grumbled about the price of the few gifts they had been able to buy for the kids.
He complained about everything about the season that had once been so special for all of them and said Christmas was way too overly commercialized anyway.
Eventually Shirley helped Polly and Junior get ready for bed. Then, tearfully, she retired to their bedroom.
A few minutes later she heard Phil screaming in pain and calling for her from the hall.
He yelled for her to go get the pliers. “I’ve stepped on a sewing needle.”
Shirley brought the pliers, and Phil clamped the jaws on the needle protruding from his foot and pulled.
To his shock, only the top half of the needle came out, as if the half with the sharp point was still buried in his wounded foot. Phil was sure he could feel it deep inside the bulging wound.
He and Shirley discussed the possibility of his going to the emergency room at the hospital that night to have the other half of the needle removed. But Phil, even though he was in pain, assured her it could wait until morning.
The next day on Christmas, after dejectedly participating with his family as they opened the few presents under the tree, Phil drove to the hospital but paused outside the door.
Now without a job, it also meant he had no insurance to pay for the surgery…and what little savings they had was sorely needed to pay bills and put food on the table.
Somewhere he had heard that if you get a tiny fragment in your body and do not remove it, it could eventually move to one of the vital organs and cause death.
Thinking of his finances and that they really couldn’t afford to pay for a medical emergency, Phil decided to leave the needle fragment in his foot and take the consequences, whatever they may be.
He drove home and told Shirley that everything had been taken care of.
From that moment on Phil believed his life was in jeopardy.
He really didn’t know if he was going to live from one day to the next, and so he decided he would try to make the most of life on a day to day basis.
That Christmas Day, after getting home, there was a marked change in Phil.
He treated Shirley with much more love and kindness and spent time playing with Polly and Junior.
This Christmas Day was the first day in a long time that Phil felt truly close to his family.
Tomorrow he might be dead, but today he would enjoy the important things in life.
And strangely, money no longer seemed important.
Tomorrow did come, and Phil Garland again found himself alive.
For the second day he was especially considerate to his wife and children, because it might be the last day of his life.
Each day thereafter Phil spent more time with Shirley, Polly and Junior, while taking odd jobs daily to support his family.
Day after day, Phil learned how to appreciate and be grateful for the many blessings in his and his family’s life that he had taken for granted before.
Because he felt his life could end at any moment, Phil learned to treasure every moment of everyday and this led to a total transformation in his attitude.
Phil became more and more loving as the things that once worried him so much and caused him so much despair were seen as trivial now that he realized how precious and wonderful simply being with his family was.
This period of what his wife called their time of “Precious Jeopardy” ended, as it began on Christmas Eve, one year later.
The Garland’s celebrations contrasted sharply with those of the previous Christmas, because Phil was happy and at peace.
He had lived long enough to celebrate another Christmas with Shirley and the children.
On Christmas Eve Phil played a few games with the children.
Then the family exchanged a few gifts each had made during the year.
During those months Phil had secretly made a beautiful walnut sewing cabinet for Shirley. She wept at his thoughtfulness when he showed it to her.
As the clock struck midnight on Christmas Eve, Shirley handed Phil her gift – a small box containing a tiny fragment of steel pierced through a piece of velvet. It was the other half of the needle Phil thought was in his foot.
Shirley was in tears, asking Phil’s forgiveness.
She had found the other half of the needle a few days after he had his accident, but had secretly kept it because it had, in a sense, given Phil back to his family.
Phil, gratefully realizing how his life had changed since the previous Christmas, put his arms around her and smiled.
Because of the past year of “precious jeopardy” of believing his life could end at any moment, he had discovered and come to appreciate the truly important things in life.
He had become a new and better man and would never return those old worn out ways before he realized how blessed and fortunate he really was.
Something that had seemed so terrible and hopeless became the catalyst for a wonder filled new life for Phil and his family as they truly celebrated the miracle of Christmas together.
A BEAUTIFUL HEART WARMING CHRISTMAS SONG and VIDEO FOR YOU!
This sweet song, which is so full of the highest expression of love and caring in the singing of Mariah Carey, is also an amazingly profound music video that I believe you will absolutely love!
This music video has been viewed 130 MILLION times on You Tube!
O HOLY NIGHT (When Christ Was Born) by Mariah Carey
“Our Christmas tree here on Still Mountain!” Photo by Chinmayan
Christmas Is A Many Splendored Time…
A Special Time To Live With Love
Infused By The Christmas Spirit!
What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, Courage for the present, Hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that Every cup may overflow with Blessings, rich and eternal, And that every path may Lead to peace on earth And goodwill for all.
—Agnes M. Pharo
“Christmas is really about celebrating the birth of Jesus within each of our hearts through embodying and then sharing the unconditional pure Love of the Christmas Spirit….”
—Chinmayan
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This story made me cry happy tears. Thank you Chinmayan, it was the best story I read today. Blessings…