引路天使

By+Anonymous

M ygrandmagavemeacalendar picturewhen I waslittle. 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 mymamatoldmeeveryonehadaguardianangel.

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 wasnt much of a chance for me to have anormallife， and ifI lived， itwould beamiracle. Mymamahad togiveme oxygen and prop me up with pillows. I couldnt walk becauseofmyweakheart.

IdidntknowIshouldmissplayingandrunningaround. 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. SometimesI wasreallysick. SometimesI had pneumonia andhadtostayatthehospital.

When I was five and a half， my mama heard of a new surgery that repaired little childrens hearts. It was risky， but MamawasbraveandbelievedthatGod 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 couldnt 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 couldnt even sit up.Myfingersgotbluefromlackofoxygen，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 Ednas house. The next morning， we went to the hospital. Mama carried me and Auntie Edna carried my oxygen tank. I dont 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 Ednas， but Ill come back first thing in the morning and see you before your surgery. And Ill be here when you wake up. Youll be all well， pink and healthy. Youll be able to run and play like the otherlittlekids.”endprint

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 hearmymothersheelsclickingawaydownthehospitalhall.

I cried and cried. Finally， I looked at the picture of that angelandfelther puther wingsaround metohelp mepray. She led me in my prayers， and showed me the way to Gods 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 tearsonhercheeks.

“Baby，yourefixed now，”shesaid.“Nomoreholein 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 kissedmyforehead.

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 beforemyheartsurgery.

小时候，奶奶给了我一张月历画。画上，一个美丽的天使带领着一个男孩和一个女孩过一座桥。这张画以前是挂在她屋里的，我非常喜欢。到了新年的时候，奶奶把它送给了我。妈妈把它钉在我的床边。每天晚上祈祷的时候，我都要看着天使和两个小孩，心里想着，上帝派天使来指引我们，他的爱是何等博大。我知道这一切都是妈妈告诉我的，她说每一个人都有一个护佑天使。

她说我的天使非常特别，因为我生下来心脏有个洞。医生告诉爸爸妈妈，我不太可能过上正常人的生活，除非奇迹发生。妈妈不得不给我输氧，用枕头把我垫高。因为心脏脆弱，我不能行走。

我知道玩耍、四处跑跳都将与我无缘。我有几只非常棒的狗狗，妈妈教我读书认字。当我读着书里边的故事时，我哪里都能去，什么都能做。有时我真的病得不轻。有时我会得肺炎，不得不住院。

我五岁半时，妈妈听说有一项新的手术，可以修复小孩的心脏。风险很大，但妈妈很勇敢，相信这是上帝给她传达了一个信息。她写了封信给医生，并收到了回信。她告诉我，她祈祷手术能带给我健康，让我的生命得以延长。

进行手术的医生都回东部去了。我们住在加州的农村。爸爸想让我做手术，但我们家里很穷。我们没法去东部，住在旅馆里等候进行这项新手术。我和我的小狗，以及上面骑着牛仔的小塑料马玩耍，还读着劳拉·英格尔斯·怀尔德的《草原上的小屋》，但我越来越虚弱了。有些日子我连坐都坐不起来。因为缺氧，我的手指变成了青紫色，我的脸也如此。

一天，东部的医生给妈妈来信了。旧金山医院的一位医生正在学习这项手术，并且要求将我列入名单内。我们真是喜忧参半。妈妈说她要祈祷，上帝会让手术成功。

我们乘坐“灰狗”长途汽车到了旧金山。我的一个表哥开着自己的车把我们送到了埃德娜姑妈家。第二天早上，我们前往医院。妈妈抱着我，埃德娜姑妈抱着我的氧气罐。我不大记得当时的情景，只记得我得躺到一张有围栏的床上，而不是家里的那种帆布床。我还必须做很多检查。

那天晚上，我躺在医院的围栏床上，妈妈和我一起祈祷，上帝会帮助医生让我好起来。接着妈妈告诉我：“宝贝，我必须回埃德娜姑妈家，但我会一大清早回来，在你手术之前来看你。你醒来时我会在你身边的。你会平平安安、健健康康的。你会像其他小朋友一样可以跑动、玩耍。”

然后她给了我一只布做的小猫，看上去就像家中谷仓的小猫汤姆。她还把奶奶很久以前给我的那张月历画给了我。看着漂亮天使领着两个孩子过桥的画面，我哭了。我可以听见妈妈穿着高跟鞋走出医院大厅的脚步声。

我哭泣不止。最后，我盯着那张天使的画，感觉她用双翼将我包裹，助我祈祷。那天晚上，在我的祈祷中，她带领着我，为我指引上帝之爱的方向。我安然入睡。

我醒来时，医生说妈妈正等着要进来看我。她走到我身旁，我看见了她的笑容，伴着满脸的泪水。

“宝贝，你已经无恙了。”她说，“你的小心脏不再有洞了。”“现在我可以像其他小朋友一样跑动和玩耍了。”我低声向她说。“是的，宝贝，你还会活得很长久。”妈妈亲吻了我的前额。

那是50多年前的事了。当我再看到那幅天使和两个孩子过桥的画时，我还能感觉到在我心脏手术前的那天晚上，我对妈妈和上帝无尽的爱。endprint