How Much Is a Miracle?

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She

poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar, she made her way six blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy and totally ignored her. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages."

"I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back. "He's really, really sick, and I want to buy a miracle."

''I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest."

The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly, "and it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."

Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents—the exact price of a miracle for little brothers."

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neurosurgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Dr. Carlton Armstrong

"That surgery," her Mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost." Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost … one dollar and eleven cents … plus the faith of a little child.

As I said, this story was sent to me from a Daily Encounter reader in Saudi Arabia who wrote: "Dear pastor Richard, this story has been circulated among Christians here in Saudi and it gives greater impact to us and touches our heart. Your work is the same like the person in the story — your ministry gives us a miracle that truly is a gift from God, Jesus Christ."

1. Luke 6:38 (NIV).

All articles on this website are written by Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.

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