Christian Living

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The Day Jesus Visited
© 2010

by

Stephen A. Peterson


A blizzard ripped across the plains of Oklahoma that 2009 Christmas Eve evening as the driver of a rusting 1989 Dodge Omni traveled on Interstate 40 with a final destination to the city of Weatherford, Oklahoma on Christmas Day. The mother struggled to continue her trek although experiencing ever decreasing speeds as road conditions and visibility declined. With her three children, none older than four, she had drive all day, trying to reach her mother—in—law’s house. But now she realized something was wrong with her. Whatever her problem was the condition hampered her ability to continue her drive and she pulled to the shoulder of the road then collapsed.

A state trooper patrolling the area happened to note the car with its engine still running. When he flashed his flashlight into the vehicle, he found a woman miraculous with her foot on the brake and three terrified children in the back seat. Without further hesitation, the trooper rushed the mother to the hospital in Seminole, Oklahoma. Then the trooper and his wife, with the approval of the local court, agreed to care for the children, even though they had four children of their own.

“Having three additional children was absolutely great!” the trooper’s wife was later heard to say. “They ate Christmas dinner with us, watched some really great Christmas movies with us and opened some really good Christmas presents were able to get at the last moment. Even though they were a little frightened at first, they willing participated in our family’s Christmas traditions. The oldest child, the little girl, helped make pies and Christmas cookies. The middle child, a boy, played with our two boys. We called the children’s grandmother in Weatherford to let her know what had happened and that her grandchildren were safe and her daughter-in-law was doing well in the hospital. The children, as well as talk to their grandmother, talked to their mother on a daily basis to re-assure them that she was okay, loved them and would be coming to get them as soon as the doctor said it was okay. The oldest one, the four year old girl, seemed able to understand but the two year boy and one year girl seemed alright with the situation. The oldest girl would, for a couple of days, go to the window to see when and if her mother was coming for her and her siblings.”

Finally, on the twelfth day of Christmas, the three little visitors and their mother left the trooper and his family’s home. “However, our family will never, ever forget how Jesus Himself came to our home, not as part of a Nativity scene but as three, living children, who needed love, understanding and a home during the worst known blizzard in Christmas Eve in Oklahoma.”

Throughout the course of His three year ministry, it was reported that Christ told many, many stories (parables) to the listeners of His day. One of these stories was about helping those in need in a personal way not just by giving a person or persons money/things then sending them on their way. If the situation was made available would you have taken the children in? Or would you have searched your heart for reasons NOT to accommodate them with a notion that it was not your problem, that you gave money, food or clothing. Many children and teens; troubled children and teens need temporary and, in many instances, permanent homes to care for them. Not just for Christmas but for months and years to come.

Given a similar circumstance what would you have done?

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