Luke 1:46-48 My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
It was the night before Christmas and not a creature was stirring on the pediatric floor of the hospital. I was the nurse on duty staring at a piece of holly on the wall, feeling miserable. I thought about the last-minute shopping I’d wanted to do, the cookies to decorate, the caroling, the Bowl game on television. It isn’t fair, I’m missing Christmas Eve!
There was only one child in the nursery, a tiny baby, a few weeks old with a respiratory infection, and a nursing assistant who observed him around the clock. As I walked in the assistant said “Merry Christmas”.
“Some way to spend Christmas Eve”, I muttered as I picked up the chart to scan. Across the room I heard an almost inaudible little gasp.
“My God! He’s stopped breathing!” cried the nursing assistant. I dashed toward the crib and leaned over to see the baby limp and blue. “Get a doctor and a respiratory therapist,” I yelled, “Fast!”
Seconds ticked as I cleared the baby’s throat with suction, pulled back his chin and inserted a tiny plastic airway. Placing the black breathing bag over his face, I squeezed, in and out, pushing air into his tiny lungs.
The nursery door crashed open as two doctors, a nurse, technician and respiratory therapist ran in. Frantically we worked in a blur of drugs, hissing oxygen and the blip of a heart monitor. Our pace slowed as everything that medicine could do had been done. The baby remained unmoving except for the mechanical rise and fall of his tiny chest. The room grew quiet. Nothing mattered except this baby boy breathe. “Lord, help him” I thought. “Breathe little guy, breath!” said one doctor. “Please God” whispered the nurse. I saw the same plea in every face.
Suddenly a gurgle drifted up from the crib, then a cough, then a tiny cry! Silence gripped us as the respirator was removed. Waiting, we watched as he curled his tiny fingers and waved his arms in the air cried louder. He was breathing. Tears welled up in my eyes, I witnessed a magnificent miracle. The precious gift of life had been given him by Someone other than this band of people. The presence of Christ seemed to fill the room.
In that moment my heart was drawn to Christ in some deep and holy way I cannot explain. This tiny baby had given us a gift. He had given each of us a living reminder of the heart of Christmas.
