Another Special Christmas

I have four children still living at home.  The oldest is thirteen years old.  He is not the oldest of our adopted children, but he was the first child we adopted.  Because his birthmother abused alcohol and drugs, he will never live on his own.  His only wish this Christmas was for an Xbox so he could play car racing games.  He is fascinated by cars.  Has been since infancy.  We used hot wheels to teach him his colors and how to count.  One of his first words was Papa, but that was quickly followed by Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota and Mercedes Benz.

Unfortunately, I could not afford to buy even a used Xbox this year.  He had prayed with me every night for God to tell Santa to bring him an Xbox.  I had tried to make him understand that God might not give him an Xbox just because he wanted it.  I talked about worshiping God just because he is God and such, but MP was having none of it.  "I pray every night.  Why wouldn't God give me this one thing?"

I prayed for help from God myself.  How was I to explain to MP that there was no Xbox even though he had trusted God for it?  I mean how could I explain it in a way his limited abilities would allow him to understand? 

On Christmas Eve I received a call from Claudia, his special education teacher.  She said the mayor of West Sacramento was giving away his old Xbox and she had convinced him to give it to MP.  She delivered it that afternoon.  On Christmas morning MP was not surprised, except that God had failed to include a new car game for him to play.  He did have two older Xbox car games, but he thought he should have gotten a new one anyway.  In any case he was grateful and happy to be playing the Xbox.  However, the tale does not end there.

That afternoon, a new car game appeared on the front porch wrapped in a pretty ribbon.  It seems the mayor discovered he had another game that MP would like, so he personally dropped it off on Christmas Day, but did not stay to take any credit for it.  For MP it was if God had heard him.

Christopher Cabaldano is the mayor of West Sacramento.  He announced on his Facebook page that he had the Xbox.  Claudia Parks of Riverbank Elementary School contacted him about it.  I sent him a thank you describing MP.  He followed with the car game.  Doesn't sound like God was directly involved does it?  Didn't sound like that to Esther either I expect, yet the Book of Esther is filled with God's machinations even though He is never mentioned and His miracles are not overt.

That is truly the wonder of our great God.  While we desire flaming columns of smoke and parted seas, He is perfectly happy to please us and care for us in a less spectacular fashion.  He provides flower nectar for the bees, insect and seeds for the birds and raimant man cannot immitate for both of them.  This Christmas He provided an Xbox for a young boy who simply trusted Him.  Where that fits in His great plan I do not know.  Esther had no idea that she would be responsible for the freedom of her people and the rebuilding of the temple.  I am sure MP does not realize that he is responsible for the rebulding or strengthening of my faith.  I don't know how it all fits together and I don't need to know. 

What I know is that my God is faithful and His love endures forever.  I don't need great miracles or spectacular events to assure me of His love or His presence in my life.  The fact that He sends a small miracle now and then is pretty spectacular in itself.  It isn't necessary, but it certainly gets my attention.  Today I praise God for being God and thank Him for making me appear a better father.