The Christmas season was dark and cold, but not because of the weather. Their parents were facing a crisis – separation and maybe divorce. They prayed, hoped, cried and prayed more. Christmas was marred by parental separation and the two girls tried to make the most of what seemed hopeless. As any child of divorced parents can attest, Christmas in two places stinks. Through difficult circumstances, they young ladies continued praying that God would supernaturally intervene on their behalf; putting their family back together.
Putting their heads together as only sisters can, they devised a plan. A Christmas present they thought would help – a Bible. They gathered their money and bought their father a simple, burgundy leather NIV translation. They didn’t care he already had three or four Bibles. This one was from them.
Needless to say, the gift wasn’t met with much excitement. After all, it was their father that moved out weeks earlier. He wasn’t really in the mood to read the Bible. It sat on a table for a couple weeks, then in the car, then in his hotel room. Apparently, God kept moving it from place to place. Occasionally, he would read a few verses trying to make sense of a senseless situation. Mostly, he put it down.
A couple months passed with the typical every other weekend visitation, awkward pick-up and drop-off and occasional glances passing between husband and wife. The girls continued praying. Adults gave up, telling the parents the marriage was over and they needed to move on. You know, the typical, well-meaning Christian advice that’s just not Biblical. Hey, do you remember that Jesus said we should have the faith of a child? I think He meant that!
Time passed, hope waned, Christians didn’t think twice about another marriage ending in divorce. The girls’ mother prayed; continually telling them God had a miracle in store. The court date came and went and the divorce was final. In what seemed like a desperate attempt to salvage this marriage, God made His move. Many thought He would sit back allowing another Christian family to become victim to a satanic attack. Not this time.
God supernaturally made His presence known. It wasn’t late in the 4th quarter; the game was over (according to the world). Actually, this is when God manifests Himself with all glory and power. This is when you should start humming the theme to Rocky. I know you know it. Everyone thought God showed up late; actually He was right on time! He visited the man while driving north on Interstate 49 in Louisiana, somewhere close to Alexandria. His presence filled the car causing the man to intentionally try and keep the car on the road. It was a modern day blinding like the Apostle Paul experienced. God simply said, “What man has torn down, I will rebuild.”
It’s over, finished, move on – Not this time. This is when God gets to show why He’s God. With the father in one hand, the mother in the other, God began His work. The two girls prayed, the mother grew in her faith and the man finally read the burgundy Bible. God rebuilt what was torn down because of the faith of two girls, one 12 and the other 14. That whole faith-of-a-child-thing – that’s literal! A few months later, the girls watched their parents remarry – the final brick of the rebuild put in place.
Unfortunately, marriages end every day because adults don’t have the faith of a child. How do I know this story so well, you ask? Because I’m the guy who received the best Christmas present ever. I’m the guy who carries and studies that Bible. So if you’re in the middle of a crisis, get yourself a copy of the Bible, maybe a thin, leather burgundy NIV, and read it.
Romans 10:17 – So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
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