The Winner of Debby’s prize is Piper. Congratulations, Piper! Now, on to Patricia’s Christmas memory.
My favorite Christmas memory is a little bit bitter sweet. I was pregnant with a very complicated pregnancy. My only pregnancy. I was excited, terrified, proud, uncertain… My parents were visiting from across the country, and we were all at my brother’s house for a family dinner. I was supposed to be on bed rest, but I didn’t want to miss Christmas, so I came along.
After dinner, when we were all just sitting around chatting, I started to feel contractions–hard ones! I was barely 5 months along, so this wasn’t good news. I managed to get to a bed where I could rest, but the pain was excruciating. Laying there on someone else’s bed with contractions completely out of my control, I reached out to God.
I prayed and prayed. This baby was not ready to be born! A cat crawled up next to me and curled up next to my belly. We lay there like that for an hour while the contractions slowly subsided.
It’s funny how the hardest times in life can be the most memorable–not for their pain, but for God’s presence. God did answer my prayers, and while my pregnancy was difficult, scary and much too short, my son was born safely about a month and a half later.
Now, every Christmas since, I remember that Christmas day when I was pregnant and scared, and I think of Mary. She was young, pregnant, away from home and curled up inside a barn. But she was never alone.
Babies and vulnerability, fear and hope… It’s funny how God works! And Christmas, the celebration of when God touched earth, starts with a pregnant girl going into labor inside a stable.
No matter what is happening in your life this holiday season, you are not alone, and God will pull you through.
When a baby is dropped into her life without warning, Emily Shaw is overjoyed. It’s a bit odd that her distant cousin named single Emily as guardian, but she’s thrilled all the same. She never thought she’d get to be a mom. Another unexpected blessing is that baby Cora arrives in the arms of police chief Greg Taylor. Despite all three of them instantly bonding, Greg has promised himself he’ll never be a father. And now Emily’s smooth-talking relative is challenging her right to raise Cora. Will Emily have to make an impossible decision between the child she already loves and the man who loves her?
Patricia Johns lives in Alberta, Canada, where the winters are long and cold. She doesn’t complain, though, because it leaves her plenty of time to write, enjoying that winter wonderland from the warm side of the window.
She has her BA in English Lit and has been writing seriously ever since. She has written numerous novels in other genres, but her true love is for romance writing, where she can be the unabashedly hopeless romantic she’s always been.
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Patricia is giving away a copy of His Unexpected Family to one commenter.
*To be eligible for Patricia’s book, you must leave a comment and live within the Continental United States or Canada. Winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be notified Dec 17 and posted on the sidebar as well.
13 responses to “16th Day of Christmas~Patricia Johns”
How frightening! I’m so glad your son was born without any complications. What a blessing! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
Yes, he’s now an energetic 5 year old, and I’m grateful for him every day. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours, too!
Wow. One of the things that stand out in your story is the cat curling up beside you. For most of my childhood I had animals and eventually talked my husband into letting me get a dog when my youngest was around four. Pets always offer comfort when we need it most – no questions asked, nothing expected in return. I’m glad everything worked well in your pregnancy. 🙂 Merry Christmas.
Animals have such deep emotional lives and I don’t think we give them enough credit. I’d love a dog one day, too. Merry Christmas!
Patricia, I’m so sorry you went through that frightening experience. At times like those, the only thing we can do is cling to the Lord. I’m glad your son was all right, albeit early.
He’s now 5, and an energetic handful! 🙂 But God really really did have to intervene to bring him through. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Keli!
Isn’t it wonderful that God listens and responds to the prayers of his children! Rejoicing on the safe delivery of your baby some months later.
Thank you! 🙂 He really does answer prayer.
Oh, my goodness…how frightening for you… But so glad everything turned out so well for you! 🙂 BTW, I see you live in Alberta. My dad and his siblings were born there, and I’d love to visit someday. I do have pics of the area in which they lived from when my sister and b-i-law visited cousins there. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas!
Alberta is a beautiful province! The thing I love best about this area is the sky. You can see weather coming for miles. I love to pick out rainstorms miles away that will never even hit us. 🙂
I love any book that has a baby in it! They are one of my favorite type of books. When a baby brings a couple together, it’s extra special! Throw in a police chief and it’s great! I think this book would be a great read. I’ve enjoyed other books by Patricia so I’m sure this would be fantastic like the others!
I’m also moved by the cat… and very happy that everything turned out okay! My animals… especially my horses have gotten me through a lot of tough times… best therapists ever.
How scary! I’m glad God answered your prayer & you had a healthy baby! And how sweet of the cat to curl up beside you. When I was younger & had cats they would curl up by me when I was sad or something was wrong,… & my cat Shadow would follow me around the house.