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My grandma gave me a calendar picture when I was little. A beautiful angel was shown shepherding a boy and a girl acrossabridge. Ithad been in her house and I loved it. When it was a new year， she gave it to me. My mama tacked it up by my bed. Every night when I said my prayers， I would look at the angel and the children and think about how much God must love us to send angels to guide us. I knew all about it because my mama told me everyone had a guardian angel.
She said that my angel was very special because I was born with a hole in my heart. The doctors had told my mama and my papa that there wasn’t much of a chance for me to have anormallife， and ifI lived， itwould beamiracle. Mymama had to give me oxygen and prop me up with pillows. I couldn’t walk because of my weakheart.
I didn’t know I should miss playing and running around. I had my wonderful dogs， and Mama taught me how to read. I went everywhere and did everything when I read a story in a book. Sometimes I was really sick. Sometimes I had pneumonia and had to stay at the hospital.
When I was five and a half， my mama heard of a new surgery that repaired little children’s hearts. It was risky， but Mama was brave and believed that God had senther amessage. She wrote to the doctor and he wrote back. She told me that she prayed the operation would make me healthy and let me live a longlife.
The doctors who performed the surgery were all back East. We lived in rural California. My papa wanted me to have the surgery， but we were very poor. We couldn’t travel back East， live in a hotel and wait for my turn for the new surgery. I played with my dogs and little plastic horses with cowboys， and I still read Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder， but I was getting weaker. Some days I couldn’t even sit up.My fingers got blue from lack of oxygen，andsodidmyface.
One day， the doctor from the East wrote to my mother. A doctor at a San Francisco hospital was learning to do the surgery， and he had asked for my name to be put on the list. We were excited， but worried. Mama said she would pray， and God wouldhaveitcomeoutright.
We took the Greyhound bus to San Francisco. One of my cousins drove us in his car to my Auntie Edna’s house. The next morning， we went to the hospital. Mama carried me and Auntie Edna carried my oxygen tank. I don’t remember much except I had to have a crib， not a cot like at home. I also had to havelotsoftests.
That night when I laid in the hospital crib， Mama and I prayed that God would help the doctor help me get well. Mama then told me，“Baby， I have to go back to Auntie Edna’s， but I’ll come back first thing in the morning and see you before your surgery. And I’ll be here when you wake up. You’ll be all well， pink and healthy. You’ll be able to run and play like the otherlittlekids.” Then she gave me a stuffed cat that looked like my barn cat Tom back home. She also gave me the calendar picture my grandma had given me so long ago. I cried at the picture of the beautiful angel leading the children over the bridge. I could hearmymother’sheelsclickingawaydownthehospitalhall. I cried and cried. Finally， I looked at the picture of that angel and felther puther wings around metohelp mepray. She led me in my prayers， and showed me the way to God’s love thatnight.Ifellasleep. When I woke up， the doctor said my mama was waiting to come in to see me. She came to me and I saw her smiling with tears on her cheeks.
“Baby，you’refixed now，”shesaid.“No more hole in your little heart.”“Now I can run and play like other kids.”I whispered to her.“Yes， baby， and live a long life， too.”Mama kissed my forehead. That was more than fifty years ago. When I see that same picture of the angel and the children crossing the bridge， I still feel that magnificent love for my mama and for God， that night before my hearts urgery.
小時候，奶奶給了我一張月歷畫。畫上，一個美麗的天使帶領著一個男孩和一個女孩過一座橋。這張畫以前是掛在她屋里的，我非常喜歡。到了新年的時候，奶奶把它送給了我。媽媽把它釘在我的床邊。每天晚上祈禱的時候，我都要看著天使和兩個小孩，心里想著，上帝派天使來指引我們，他的愛是何等博大。我知道這一切都是媽媽告訴我的，她說每一個人都有一個護佑天使。
她說我的天使非常特別，因為我生下來心臟有個洞。醫生告訴爸爸媽媽，我不太可能過上正常人的生活，除非奇跡發生。媽媽不得不給我輸氧，用枕頭把我墊高。因為心臟脆弱，我不能行走。 我知道玩耍、四處跑跳都將與我無緣。我有幾只非常棒的狗狗，媽媽教我讀書認字。當我讀著書里邊的故事時，我哪里都能去，什么都能做。有時我真的病得不輕。有時我會得肺炎，不得不住院。 我五歲半時，媽媽聽說有一項新的手術，可以修復小孩的心臟。風險很大，但媽媽很勇敢，相信這是上帝給她傳達了一個信息。她寫了封信給醫生，并收到了回信。她告訴我，她祈禱手術能帶給我健康，讓我的生命得以延長。 進行手術的醫生都回東部去了。我們住在加州的農村。爸爸想讓我做手術，但我們家里很窮。我們沒法去東部，住在旅館里等候進行這項新手術。我和我的小狗，以及上面騎著牛仔的小塑料馬玩耍，還讀著勞拉·英格爾斯·懷爾德的《草原上的小屋》，但我越來越虛弱了。有些日子我連坐都坐不起來。因為缺氧，我的手指變成了青紫色，我的臉也如此。 一天，東部的醫生給媽媽來信了。舊金山醫院的一位醫生正在學習這項手術，并且要求將我列入名單內。我們真是喜憂參半。媽媽說她要祈禱，上帝會讓手術成功。 我們乘坐“灰狗”長途汽車到了舊金山。我的一個表哥開著自己的車把我們送到了埃德娜姑媽家。第二天早上，我們前往醫院。媽媽抱著我，埃德娜姑媽抱著我的氧氣罐。我不大記得當時的情景，只記得我得躺到一張有圍欄的床上，而不是家里的那種帆布床。我還必須做很多檢查。
那天晚上，我躺在醫院的圍欄床上，媽媽和我一起祈禱，上帝會幫助醫生讓我好起來。接著媽媽告訴我：“寶貝，我必須回埃德娜姑媽家，但我會一大清早回來，在你手術之前來看你。你醒來時我會在你身邊的。你會平平安安、健健康康的。你會像其他小朋友一樣可以跑動、玩耍?！?/p> 然后她給了我一只布做的小貓，看上去就像家中谷倉的小貓湯姆。她還把奶奶很久以前給我的那張月歷畫給了我?？粗撂焓诡I著兩個孩子過橋的畫面，我哭了。我可以聽見媽媽穿著高跟鞋走出醫院大廳的腳步聲。 我哭泣不止。最后，我盯著那張天使的畫，感覺她用雙翼將我包裹，助我祈禱。那天晚上，在我的祈禱中，她帶領著我，為我指引上帝之愛的方向。我安然入睡。 我醒來時，醫生說媽媽正等著要進來看我。她走到我身旁，我看見了她的笑容，伴著滿臉的淚水。 “寶貝，你已經無恙了?！彼f，“你的小心臟不再有洞了?！薄艾F在我可以像其他小朋友一樣跑動和玩耍了?！蔽业吐曄蛩f。“是的，寶貝，你還會活得很長久?！眿寢層H吻了我的前額。 那是50多年前的事了。當我再看到那幅天使和兩個孩子過橋的畫時，我還能感覺到在我心臟手術前的那天晚上，我對媽媽和上帝無盡的愛。
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