In a small town in Central Florida, there lived a little girl named Sarah Jane Kendell.  Sarah was just four years old, she liked all the things that most four year old girls like.  She loved playing dress up and having tea parties with her dolls and she loved music.

 She loved to sing and really had a great voice for a child her age.  One year during the Christmas play she even got to sing at her church.  Sarah loved to go to church and she loved to read all about Jesus and the story of His birth.  Because she was born just four days before Christmas, she loved the idea that she got presents twice in four days.  Her parents always tried to keep her birthday special. 

 Sarah's daddy had been the minister at the Church Of God in town since Sarah was a baby, and her mommy was a Sunday School teacher there, and a stay at home mom.  Sarah had learned about Jesus early in her life and the love He had for her and all of His people.  At two years of age, Sarah got very sick.  She had a sore throat for a few days, then ran a really high fever.  Her parents, Susie and Bill couldn't get the fever down so they called her pediatrician, Dr. Matthews.  He said he would meet them at the hospital.

 When they got to the hospital, the doctor checked her over and admitted her.  He sat down the next morning with her parents and said, "Sarah has rheumatic fever, and it can cause heart damage.  I want to keep her here for a few more days and run some tests."  Over the next couple of days, Sarah's fever went up and down.  It would be low one minute and then spike really high the next.  Dr. Matthews had some tests done on Sarah during the next few days and then came in and talked to her parents.  He said, "Sarah's heart hasn't suffered any damage yet, which is good.  If she doesn't have any more fevers, I think she will be okay.  Rheumatic fever can come back, but a lot of times it doesn't."  A few days later Sarah went home.  Soon she began to feel like her old self, running and playing just like any normal little two year old.