Christmas Miracle

A little boy and his grandmother came to visit Santa at a mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed onto Santa’s lap, holding a picture of a little girl.

“Who is this?” Santa asked gently. “Your friend? Your sister?”

“Yes, Santa,” the boy replied. “My sister, Sarah. She’s very sick,” he said softly.

Santa glanced at the grandmother standing nearby, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “She wanted to come with me to see you,” the boy continued. “She misses you.”

Trying to lift the boy’s spirits, Santa asked him what he hoped for that Christmas. After their visit, the grandmother stepped closer, hesitant but hopeful.

“Well… I know it’s asking a lot, Santa,” she began, her voice trembling. “My granddaughter in the picture—Sarah—she has leukemia. She may not make it through the holidays. All she has asked for is to see Santa in person. Is there any way… any possible way… you could visit her?”

Santa’s heart sank. He nodded, asking her to leave the hospital details with his elves. For the rest of the afternoon, he could think of nothing else.

“What if it were my child?” he thought. He knew in his heart he had to go.

When Santa’s shift ended, he gathered the information and asked the assistant manager how to get to the children’s hospital.

“I’ll take you,” the manager said softly.

At the hospital, Santa approached Sarah’s room and peeked in. Little Sarah lay in bed, surrounded by her loving family—her mother, grandmother, aunt, and the brother Santa had met earlier.

Taking a deep breath, Santa stepped in with a warm, “Ho, ho, ho!”

“Santa!” Sarah cried weakly, trying to rise despite the IV lines attached to her. Santa rushed to her side, hugging her gently. She was the age of his own son—nine years old—pale, fragile, with small bald patches from chemotherapy. But her eyes… her eyes were bright with life.

As they talked, family members moved close, gently touching Santa’s shoulder, whispering thank you through grateful tears.

When their time neared its end, Santa felt led to pray for her. He asked her mother’s permission. She nodded, and the entire family gathered around the bed, holding hands.

“Sarah,” Santa asked softly, “do you believe in angels?”

“Oh yes, Santa. I do!”

“Well, I’m going to ask the angels to watch over you,” he said.

Placing his hand on her head, Santa prayed—asking God to touch Sarah, to heal her, to send angels to minister to her. When he finished, he began to sing softly:

“Silent night, holy night…”

The family joined in—crying tears of hope, tears of joy—as Sarah smiled brightly, her face glowing.

After the song ended, Santa held her hands in his and said firmly, “Now, Sarah, you have a job to do. You focus on getting well. I want you playing with your friends this summer. And I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall next Christmas.”

It was a bold promise for a terminally ill child—but Santa knew she needed hope.

“Yes, Santa!” Sarah whispered, eyes shining.

Santa kissed her forehead and left the room. As soon as he met Rick in the hallway, they embraced and cried openly. Sarah’s mother and grandmother rushed out to thank him.

“My son is her age,” Santa said softly. “This is the least I could do.”

The following Christmas season, Santa returned to his job at the mall. Several weeks passed. Then one day, a bright, cheerful girl climbed onto his lap.

“Hi, Santa! Remember me?”

Santa smiled gently, as he always did. “Of course I do!”

“You came to see me in the hospital last year!”

Santa’s jaw dropped. Tears filled his eyes. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Sarah!” he said, overwhelmed.

Her hair was long and silky; her cheeks full of color and life. He looked over to see her mother and grandmother smiling and waving through joyful tears.

It was, without question, the best Christmas Santa had ever known.

He had witnessed—and been blessed to play a small part in—a true miracle of hope.

This precious child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive. Radiant.

Santa looked up toward Heaven and whispered with gratitude:

“Thank You, God. ’Tis a very Merry Christmas.”

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POSITIVE DAILY PRAYER:

May we never lose the ability to believe and experienced wonder.

May we realize the real things are the unseen things.

May we believe in miracles.

POSITIVE DAILY AFFIRMATION:

I expect a miracle!

POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE: 

In a poem that she wrote for the 2005 White House tree lighting ceremony entitled “Amazing Grace,” acclaimed American poet, author, and activist Maya Angelou wrote, “Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters, / Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope / And singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air. / The world is encouraged to come away from rancor, / Come the way of friendship.”