It was Christmas.
The Kramers were spending a wonderful holiday together at home in the heart of New Mexico. Gifts aside, all family members were extremely grateful for gifts that could not be wrapped up and placed under the Christmas tree. Brian worked as a manager at a local company, and Anna was four months pregnant with their third child. Five-year-old Kari and four-year-old Kiley were healthy and happy. They were an inexhaustible source of joy for parents. Honestly, the Kramer family couldn't have been happier.

After spending the first day of Christmas at home, they drove by car to a small town twenty minutes from Santa Fe. Since Brian's parents were from there, he knew the area well and the whole family was able to enjoy the ride and the picturesque mountain scenery.

"Look, they've been standing here for years and they'll never get old," he said, holding his wife's hand as they hiked up the mountains near Santa Fe.

- God knows how to create beautiful things.

"He certainly knows," Anna said, placing her hand on her stomach.

The visit to my parents was great. Two days of laughter and great fun, especially for children. Eventually, however, it was time to go home. As they packed up and said goodbye to Brian's parents, it was snowing lightly.

- I hate driving in the snow ?? Anna said as they got into the car.

- I know, that's why I'm driving ?? Brian replied calmly. - Such weather does not bother me. Just pray for a safe return.

The woman nodded and quietly asked God to watch over them on the way home. She tried not to be afraid of the way ahead. She looked out the window, I must admit the snow was really beautiful. It slowly fell to the ground and looked like freshly spilled powdered sugar. The road from Santa Fe was two- and three-lane in places. From the house of Brian's parents it rose gently, past two small towns, then descended for about twenty miles, down into a valley where it finally became flat.

Though traffic was light, Brian drove slowly and carefully, aware that there was a thin layer of ice beneath the snow on the road. Most of the cars passing them were in snow chains. Before winter, Brian only changed to winter tires. Even so, Anna felt nervous as soon as they entered the downhill section of the route. The husband looked at her with a warm smile.

- Don't be afraid, honey, we'll do it.

- I know ?? Anna replied. - I'd just like to be home.

- We'll be there soon. Try to relax.

Anna nodded, but she was tense all the time. The road looked slippery even though Brian was driving really slowly. As they climbed a particularly steep stretch, Brian slowed down even more to make sure they didn't lose grip. Out of nowhere, the rear of the car began to throw. The car danced from roadside to shoulder. Brian tried to straighten the wheels, but found that the steering movements had no effect on the car's behavior. He understood what happened. The car skidded and the wheels completely lost their grip.

Turning on its own axis, the car glided to meet an oncoming car.

- Oh my God! ?? Anna shouted, thrown onto the dashboard. - In the name of God, let him stop!

The car stopped spinning. He moved along the shoulder towards the edge of the cliff. If it had fallen, they would have gone a few hundred feet down.

- God, please help us! Anna screamed again. But deep down she felt that they were going too fast and that they just had to fall into the abyss.

Suddenly, just before the very edge, the car hit something and in an instant stopped. Kiley fell out of her seat belt. The sudden jolt caused the girl to be in front of the car, hitting the windshield.

It grew completely quiet.

Brian looked at his wife, not believing they had escaped death.

- Girls, are you okay? he asked, turning away.

- No, Daddy? he heard a thin voice. - I banged my head but I'm fine.

Relieved, he looked at his wife again.

- We had to hit a tree trunk or a boulder or something? He said.

- Maybe the railing.

Legs still soft, Brian got out of the car. He moved forward. There was nothing between the railing and the front wheels.

- Anna, come here! he exclaimed. - You have to see this!

The woman opened the door and left the car very carefully. The edge of the cliff and the car were only a few feet away.

- What did we hit? she asked.

- That's it. Nothing. there is nothing we can hit, no stone, no log, nothing at all. The car stopped by itself.

Anna watched the place shown by her husband. He was right. The car was moving at ten miles an hour, then suddenly stopped. For no reason whatsoever. They both looked down the rock cliff ?? They froze at what would happen.

- Anna, it looks as if the very hand of God stopped the car, saving us from sliding into the abyss.

In the silence, the woman remembered her desperate pleas for help from God. She walked over to her husband. She hugged him and put her head on his chest ??

I believe with all my heart that you are right. We were stopped by the hand of God. It had to be a miracle. Christmas miracle.


A story from the book "Extraordinary Christmas Tales" by Karen Kingsbury