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---------------------- Forwarded by Angela Barnett/HOU/ECT on 12/11/2000
07:03 AM --------------------------- "lsharris" <lsharis@email.msn.com< on 12/11/2000 01:34:16 AM To: "Angela Barnett" <Angela.Barnett@enron.com<, "Kim Gunter" <KGunter2000@yahoo.com<, "Brenda Perron" <oakiefenokie@skyenet.net<, "Shonne Yoder" <sjy3245@juno.com<, "Stacey Lynn Harris" <Stacey.Harris@ourclub.com< cc: Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle ----- Original Message ----- From: Noell <noell@galaxyinternet.net< To: Carol Denton <cdentonjhs@netscape.net<; Christine Whitaker <Dccreation@aol.com<; Deb Pepple <dpepplejes@netscape.net<; fmf_1 <fmf_1@netzero.net<; Joseph Gaunder <joseph.gaunder@honeywell.com<; Kathy Spaugh <KSpaugh@Hotmail.com<; McFarland, Linda <LMCFAR@tcunet.com<; Marlene Beehler <newrd10@aol.com<; Julianna Bender <pjbender@hwcn.org<; Randy Rentz <Randy.Rentz@USA.net<; Sandy Farrell <sfarrelljms@netscape.net<; Stephen Rupchock <SRup49120@aol.com<; Toni Wise <twise@galaxyinternet.net< Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 1:54 AM Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle < < ----- Original Message ----- < From: "Toni Wise" <twise@galaxyinternet.net< < To: "Ruth Anne Gray" <NOELL@GALAXYINTERNET.NET< < Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 8:22 AM < Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle < < < < < < ----- Original Message ----- < < From: "Mary Cleary" <mcleary@michiana.org< < < To: <Undisclosed.Recipients@freenet.michiana.org< < < Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 7:35 AM < < Subject: Fw: FW: Christmas Miracle < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < Christmas miracle < < < < < < < < < < Great story -- great prayer at the end! < < < < < < < < < < In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six < < < < < hungry babies and just 75 cents in my pocket. Their < < < < < father was gone. The boys ranged from three months to < < < < < seven years; their sister was two. Their Dad had < < < < < never been much more than a presence they feared. < < < < < Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel < < < < < driveway they would scramble to hide under their beds. < < < < < He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. < < < < < Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no < < < < < more beatings, but no food either. If there was a < < < < < welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that < < < < < time, I certainly knew nothing about it. I scrubbed < < < < < the kids until they looked brand new and then put on < < < < < my best homemade dress. I loaded them into the rusty < < < < < old 51 Chevy and drove off to find a job. The seven < < < < < of < < < < < us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our < < < < < small town. No luck. The kids stayed, crammed into the < < < < < car and tried to be quiet while I tried to convince < < < < < whomever would listen that I was willing to learn or < < < < < do < < < < < anything. I had to have a job. Still no luck. The < < < < < last place we went to, just a few miles out of town, < < < < < was an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in that had been < < < < < converted to a truck stop. It was called the Big < < < < < Wheel. An old lady named Granny owned the place and < < < < < she peeked out of the window from time to time at all < < < < < those kids. She needed someone on the graveyard shift, < < < < < 11 at night until seven in the morning. She paid 65 < < < < < cents an hour and I could start that night. I raced < < < < < home and called the teenager down the street that < < < < < baby-sat for people. I bargained with her to come and < < < < < sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. She could < < < < < arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already < < < < < be asleep. This seemed like a good arrangement to her, < < < < < so we made < < < < < deal. That night when the little ones and I knelt to < < < < < say our prayers we all thanked God for finding Mommy a < < < < < job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. When I got < < < < < home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and < < < < < sent her home with one dollar of my tip money-fully < < < < < half of what I averaged every night. As the weeks went < < < < < by, heating bills added another strain to my meager < < < < < wage. The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency < < < < < of < < < < < penny balloons and began to leak. I had to fill them < < < < < with air on the way to work and again every morning < < < < < before I could go home. One bleak fall morning, I < < < < < wagged myself to the car to go home and found four < < < < < tires in the back seat. New tires! There was no note, < < < < < no nothing, just those beautiful brand new tires. Had < < < < < angels taken up residence in Indiana? I wondered. I < < < < < made a deal with the owner of the local service < < < < < station. In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I < < < < < would clean up his office. I remember it took me a lot < < < < < longer to scrub his floor than it did for him to do < < < < < the tires. I was now working six nights instead of < < < < < five and it still wasn't enough. Christmas was coming < < < < < and I knew there would be no money for toys for the < < < < < kids. I found a can of red paint and started < < < < < repairing and painting some old toys. Then I hid them < < < < < in the basement so there would be something for Santa < < < < < to deliver on Christmas morning. Clothes were a worry < < < < < too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the < < < < < boys pants and soon they would be too far gone to < < < < < repair. On Christmas Eve the usual customers were < < < < < drinking coffee in the Big Wheel. These were the < < < < < truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper < < < < < named Joe. A few musicians were hanging around after < < < < < a gig at the Legion and were dropping nickels in the < < < < < pinball machine. The regulars all just sat around and < < < < < talked through the wee hours of the morning and then < < < < < left to get home before the sun came up. When it was < < < < < time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas < < < < < morning I hurried to the car. I was hoping the kids < < < < < wouldn't wake up before I managed to get home and get < < < < < the presents from the basement and place them under < < < < < the tree. (We had cut down a small cedar tree by the < < < < < side of the road down by the dump.) It was still dark < < < < < and I couldn't see much, but there appeared to be some < < < < < dark shadows in the car-or was that just a trick of < < < < < the night? Something certainly looked different, but < < < < < it was hard to tell what. When I reached he car I < < < < < peered warily into one of the side windows. Then my < < < < < jaw < < < < < dropped in amazement. My old battered Chevy was < < < < < filled full to the top with boxes of all shapes and < < < < < sizes. I quickly opened the driver's side door, < < < < < scrambled inside and kneeled in the front facing the < < < < < back seat. Reaching back,I pulled off the lid of the < < < < < top box. Inside was a whole case of little blue jeans, < < < < < sizes 2-10! I looked inside another box: It was full < < < < < of shirts to go with the jeans. Then I peeked inside < < < < < some of the other boxes: There were candy and nuts and < < < < < bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous < < < < < ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. < < < < < There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling < < < < < and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies < < < < < and cleaning items. And there were five toy trucks < < < < < and one beautiful little doll. As I drove back through < < < < < empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the most < < < < < amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with < < < < < gratitude. And I will never forget the joy on the < < < < < faces of my little ones that precious morning. Yes, < < < < < there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. < < < < < And they all hung out at the Big Wheel truck stop. < < < < < < < < < < THE POWER OF PRAYER When you receive this, say a < < < < < prayer. This prayer will do. That's all you have to < < < < < do. There is nothing attached. This is powerful. < < < < < Just send this to four people and Do not break this, < < < < < please. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we < < < < < receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's < < < < < continue praying for one another. Father, I ask you to < < < < < bless my friends reading this right now. Lord, show < < < < < them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy < < < < < Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this < < < < < very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace < < < < < & mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a < < < < < renewed confidence in Your ability to work through < < < < < them. Where there is tiredness,or exhaustion, I ask < < < < < You to give them understanding, patience, & strength < < < < < as they learn submission to Your leading. Where there < < < < < is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by < < < < < revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into < < < < < greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal < < < < < Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where < < < < < there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its < < < < < hold over my friend's life. Bless their finances, give < < < < < them greater vision, and raise up leaders, and < < < < < friends to support, and encourage them. Give each of < < < < < them discernment to recognize the negative forces < < < < < around them, and reveal to them the power they have in < < < < < You to defeat it. I ask You to do these things in < < < < < Jesus' name. < < < < < < < < < < Amen. < < < < < < < < < < Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will < < < < < bless you both. Passing this on to one not considered < < < < < a friend is something I know Christ would do. < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < << < < < < < < < < < < < < < < - FW_ Christmas Miracle.eml
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