1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Welcome to Story Behind podcast. This is the 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: show for people who love hearing a good story and 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: team behind God Updates and God Too, and we hope 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day. 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 2: This Christmas. The widow of a beloved Santa receives a 7 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 2: gift that reminds her she's not alone. Written by MICHAELA. Gordoni, 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: read by Julie Provos. The Secret Sannah has a very 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 2: special surprise for a certain Missus Clause in Eastern Idaho, 10 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 2: first grade teacher Sherry Empey, a widow of Santa, received 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 2: a gift that blew her away. She couldn't have been 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 2: more surprised to be handed ten thousand dollars as holiday season. 13 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 2: The Local Secrets Hannah is on a mission to give 14 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 2: out one million dollars this Christmas, and Cherry was one 15 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: of the first on his nice list. Missus Empy is 16 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 2: known for being one of the best and most have 17 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 2: gooted teachers around and for being Missus Clause every Christmas, 18 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 2: even while she took extended time off to care for 19 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 2: her husband, Craig through his cancer treatments. This year, she 20 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 2: continued preparing lesson plans and staying connected with her students. 21 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 2: She and Craig lost their son in April, and then 22 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 2: on Halloween Day, Cherry lost Craig. Each year for twenty 23 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 2: three years, the couple would shine as Santa and Missus Claus, 24 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: opening their home and slay for photos and attending community events. 25 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 2: Many in their community say Craig embodied the real Santa 26 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,759 Speaker 2: through his kindness and cheerful encounterance. He started playing Santa 27 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: when he was only in his twenties, said Cherry. Christmas 28 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: was a big deal to us because that's what happens 29 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 2: when you're married to Santa. We loved it when people 30 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 2: came to our house with pictures, and we went everywhere 31 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 2: to people's homes and churches and schools to be Santa, 32 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 2: and it was just a big deal, Cherry said. The 33 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 2: Elves of East Sideaho News gave Sherry surprise at her 34 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: school recently. When the gym was filled with the school 35 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 2: staff and kids, One alf called Cherry to the front 36 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 2: and asked the room to show how much they loved 37 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 2: her by making some noise. Everyone in the gym clapped, 38 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 2: stomped their feet, and whooped. And hollered. But then an 39 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: ouf handed Cherry a ten thousand dollars check from a 40 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 2: local secreta which brought tears to her eyes. Thank you, 41 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 2: she said, sniffling. All this is to pay forward hopefully. 42 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,959 Speaker 2: This act of kindness shows Sherry that she isn't alone 43 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 2: and is very much loved and supported by her community 44 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 2: during this difficult time. Texas woman finds her wedding ring 45 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 2: after thinking everything was lost in a fire. Written by 46 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 2: Heather Wrigglemann, read by Julie Provost. The Texas woman finds 47 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 2: her wedding ring after she thought it was lost in 48 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:36,959 Speaker 2: a fire. This miracle is what we like to call 49 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 2: a godwink reminder he is and still watching over this family. 50 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: Even after the flames died down, all that was left 51 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 2: was ash. For Nicole Eaton of East Texas, October tenth 52 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 2: was the day everything she loved seemed to vanish in 53 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 2: the smoke, her home, her family's memories, even her wedding 54 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: ring that had grazed her hand for twenty two years. 55 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 2: After the fire is over and you come back and 56 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 2: see this, it's hard because you've lost everything, she said. 57 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 2: We had a board that measured our children's height, and 58 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: we traveled with it to every house we had ever lived. 59 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 2: That's stuff you can't get back. But as she stood 60 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 2: among the rubble, praying over what little was left, Nicole 61 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: asked God produced one thing to see her ring again. 62 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: The small golden circle symbolized decades of love, promises, and faithfulness. 63 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 2: She'd lost it in the chaos of that terrible night, 64 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 2: and though friends had offered to help, she thought it 65 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 2: was gone forever. A family friend contacted the Wood County 66 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: Metal Detecting Club to assist in the search. The team 67 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 2: hadn't yet made it out the sight when she returned 68 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 2: one afternoon to look through the ashes herself. That's when 69 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 2: the unthinkable happened. Right here on the sink counter and 70 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 2: just a pile of ash, there was my ring, Carl said, 71 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 2: sitting there, and I'm like, there's no way. At first, 72 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: she thought someone must have found it and placed it there, 73 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 2: but when she called the metal detecting group, they hadn't 74 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 2: been out to the property yet. She checked that same 75 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 2: spot several times before nothing, But this time there was 76 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 2: gleaming through this like a whisper from heaven. How is 77 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: this possible? She says in disbelief, it's literally a miracle. 78 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 2: We've asked everyone we know, and no one has been 79 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: out here. In that moment a call. Knew it wasn't 80 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 2: a coincidence. It was a godwink, a divine reminder that 81 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 2: even in loss, God sees, God restores, God is still 82 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 2: working in the ashes, just to come one day and 83 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 2: for it to be right there, She said, softly, it's 84 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 2: just unexplainable. That was a godwink. Now every time Nicole 85 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 2: looks at her ring, she feels renew strength to keep 86 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 2: moving forward. Friends and family have rallied around her, donating clothes, 87 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 2: helping rebuild, or reminding her she's not alone. Every time 88 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 2: I look at it, she says, I'm like, Okay, We're 89 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,600 Speaker 2: going to come out of this even better than before. 90 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 2: Because sometimes God's miracles don't arrive in lightning bolts or 91 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 2: part of seas. Sometimes they glimmer quietly in a pile 92 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 2: of bash, just enough light to remind us that nothing 93 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 2: is truly lost in his hands Isaiah sixty one to three, 94 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a 95 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 2: joyous blessing instead of mourning. 96 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 97 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story. 98 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced 99 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes, 100 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: And if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to 101 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: our podcast and please tell a friend about us. 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