My Richest Christmas Ever !

The story of Katie

—— by Gail Wenos

The Holladay Park Plaza in Portland is a graduated care facility; they have a convalescent part called the Health Care Center. The lady in charge of vespers asked if I could spend a few minutes in the Center. No problem. I figured I could do an easy 15 minute program. Well, God had other things in mind.

With about 15 people there, in all stages of disability, many in wheel chairs, several unable to tell me their names, I realized that a “program” was out of the question. The best thing was to have Ezra visit with each individual.
What a joy it was to see these dear people respond to Ezra as he stood on their knees and talked to them. But then we got to Katie.

Katie is a tiny little woman; she doesn’t have a tooth in her head, but she has the sweetest face. There she sat in her wheelchair, all bundled in pink, holding a small teddy bear.

She was looking down when I approached, but when I stood Ezra on her knees and he said “Merry Christmas, Katie . . . I love you!”, Katie lifted her head and her eyes lit up!

She gave Ezra the most beautiful toothless grin I’ve ever seen. Ezra and Katie then began to carry on a rather animated conversation.

I was trying to keep my focus on Katie, but I was very aware that something was going on with the staff. They were jumping up and down, hugging each other, laughing and crying at the same time! It wasn’t until a few minutes later that I found out why — Katie hadn’t talked in years! And there she was, talking a “blue streak!”

And then there was Ada,
not as sweet-looking as Katie. In fact, with rotting teeth, a slight drool, a whiskery chin, and disheveled hair, Ada actually was a bit homely. She kept bending down to stroke the legs of her chair, or she would pat herself — she, too, was in her own world.

But each time Ezra would come to her, she’d stop her motions and hold onto him as she smiled and laughed, making her face light up with delight.

And with her delight, God let me see a special kind of beauty. I’m so grateful that He did, because as I stood Ezra on her knees, I had no idea that Ezra’s simple words of “Ada, you is beautiful!” would have such a tremendous impact.

As soon as Ezra told her she was beautiful, Ada looked at him with stunned disbelief as she asked, “I’m beautiful? Oh! Do you really think I’m beautiful?”

And when Ezra truthfully responded with “Yes, Ada, you is real beautiful! Merry Christmas!”, Ada gave him a hug and her tears began to flow. Then she held him back, looked at him with a truly beautiful smile as she said with laughter, “Oh yes, it IS a Merry Christmas! I’m BEAUTIFUL!”

As far as I was concerned, I had just had my richest Christmas ever!!

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