A little girl named Tess went to her bedroom one day and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully—three times, to be exactly perfect, because there was no chance for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way six blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her full attention. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise and cleared her throat.
"What do you want?" the pharmacist asked.
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother. He's really sick, and I want to buy a miracle."
"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.
"His name is Andrew, and he has something bad growing inside his head. My daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry, but I can't help you," the pharmacist said.
"I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"
"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?" asked the man.
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "It's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."
"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents is the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand, and with the other hand, he grasped her mitten and said, "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."
The man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a neurosurgeon. The operation was completed free of charge, and Andrew was home again, doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
"That surgery," her mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost."
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much the miracle cost—one dollar and eleven cents, plus the faith of a little child who dared to take action.
