January 6, 1999
COMMENTARY:
Santa got a special gift this Christmas
___By Michael Ward
___Northeast Baptist Hospital
___Christmas. Boy, do I love this time of year.
___You see, I am more blessed than most people at Christmas, because I get the privilege of playing Santa. I've been doing this professionally for several years now, and each year I get at least one special blessing.
___This year, God gave me a wonderful blessing.
___I work in nursing services at Northeast Baptist Hospital in San Antonio. Normally, my day is hectic, with emergencies, staffing problems and crisis management. This day was different, because it was the day of our Christmas party, and I, as is the norm, would be Santa. This meant I would be able to let my hair down and just have fun.
___After greeting all the guests at the party, I decided to make rounds and greet the rest of the staff as well as the patients and their families.
___I had just walked into a patient's room when the nurse at the bedside pointed to a man out in the hallway, waiting for me. When I turned, I found a man, maybe 30 or so, weeping and staring at me.
___As I approached this man, I let out a hearty, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" But he didn't laugh. I held out my hand to him, and he took it gladly. I asked, "What can Santa do for you?" His answer stopped me in my tracks.
___"Santa, my father is dying," he said. "I have believed in you all my life, and all I want for Christmas is my father back."
___This man's father had just suffered cardiac arrest and was in the cardiac care unit. The staff was working feverishly to save him.
___I told the young man there are indeed certain things even Santa can't do. I also told him I would go straight to CCU and pray for his father. He told me he knew I could bring his father back.
___When I arrived in CCU, the activity already was over and the young man's father had passed away. He did not know this yet.
___I knew the man had followed me back to CCU and was in the hallway outside. Quickly, I asked the Lord, "What does 'Santa' do now?"
___I walked into the hallway, and there, directly in front of me, was the man who just moments before had expressed as much belief in me as any 3 year old. I took his hand once again and explained to him that his father had gone to be with the Lord.
___I expected him to become angry and act out loudly. He didn't. He just looked into my eyes with the burning question, "Why?"
___I don't know why, but I asked him if his mother were still alive. He said she died a few years ago. Then the answer came to me.
___I told him God had invited his father to spend this Christmas with God. He would be in heaven with his wife, our Lord and the Father.
___You could see the peace of God come over this man. His family was waiting for him to explode, but God had given him the peace that only God can provide.
___Santa prayed and wept with this child of God. This was the blessing of 1998.
___Thank you, Lord. I never will forget this Christmas.
___Michael Ward is patient placement coordinator at Northeast Baptist Hospital in San Antonio.Frontpage / Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!