SILENT NIGHT

As I heard my daughter sing "Silent Night" as a solo in Church tonight, it brought me back to her birth.  She was born eight weeks early.  I was told I would be flown to the nearest hospital having the facilities to help an infant not yet developed enough to be born. On the night of her birth, the doctor told me females are stronger than the males, from the moment of birth, she would have a chance to live.  What a journey it was!  I never knew from one hour to the next what her state of being was.  At times, it was quite precarious; other times, she was stable. The nurses and doctors in intensive care were fantastic, ever so patient and kind.
 Her little feet were black from all the blood transfusions. The IV was in her scalp, the easiest place to find a vein. I never, ever gave up hope.  I knew God was with her and me; that everything would be alright.  It was a long journey, seeing those shut eyes at birth, wondering when they would open, as if she was a kitten. What big, brown eyes they were on the day she looked at me!
She was in terrible pain; one time; once she cried for 19 hours in my arms, as we sat in our living room. The next day, her painful cries were silent, as her tiny voice had given out.
The journey continued for many years, not knowing what would happen next.  Now, she is this lovely young adult, a singing voice waking up everyone between here and heaven. She has no signs of an early birth. Recently, we were sharing her early birth with those who had been touched by her voice.  What a shock it was.  It is truly a miracle of God. He is now sharing one of His many miracles. She is alive and sharing the Spirit of God with many, through a first soprano voice which moves the young and old alike. One man in a wheelchair came up to her recently, saying he would follow her wherever she goes. At the same time, the teenager giving the most grief in a class came up to her to say how she affects him. Always share the gifts of God.  One never knows who will be touched!