In 1910, a terrible plague swept through Czechoslovakia during the Christmas season. It took the lives of half of the people living in the small village of Velky Slavhov. A large black “X” was painted on the doorposts of infected houses. In one of the houses marked with an “X” lived a young couple, Jano and Suzanna Boratkova and their 3 young children. Their 5 year old daughter was the first to die. As Jano was building a small wooden coffin in his barn, their 2 younger sons died.

Suzanna broke into agonizing sobs as she gave the 3 children their final bath. She dressed them and placed together in the small wooden casket. In the bitter cold, the young, grieving couple took their children to the cemetery. They struggled to say the Lord’s Prayer and slowly trudged home. When they arrived at their home, there was no one to offer sympathy or encouragement. Pain and sorrow lay like a heavy mist over the entire village that Christmas eve morning. The little beds were empty, the house was cold, the shadows were deep and cold.

Jano was deathly sick as well. “I won’t see another Christmas,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll see the New Year in, either.” He couldn’t eat the small bowl of soup and piece of bread, but went to bed. Suzanna cut the wood, brought it in the house and kept the fire going all night as she listened to her husband struggle to breath. A Bible verse came to her mind, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence comes my help. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1

A peasant woman with a red and purple shawl wrapped over her hunched shoulders opened the door of the house marked with the “X”. She held out a little jar and gave instructions of how to use the liquid to make Jano vomit the deadly mucous that was chocking him to death. As quietly as she came, she left. The remedy worked and Jano’s fever broke. There were no presents under a tree, but the spark of life flickered quietly that Christmas of 1910. Ten years later Jano and Suzanna emigrated to EEUU with their 8 young children – including a set of triplets and 2 sets of twins. Every year a story is told of a peasant lady who gave a gift of life. What can we give this week?

None of us are perfect as individuals – nor are our marriages perfect.  As we work together to maintain our love and a strong marriage, our homes will be a good environment for growing and happy children.