Seeing Mother’s Day in a different way…

Hello my lovelies!
Yesterday was Mother’s day..and I can honestly say it’s one that I will never forget. I believe that sometimes in life we experience coincidences that are God incidents. I went to my church yesterday morning with the intention of staying for service after Sunday school. In Sunday school we talking about God’s Amazing Wonders..and how sometimes we miss them.

After Sunday school, I decided I would head to my mom’s church to be with her :) My brother and sister were unable to come home this weekend due to work conflicts. I got to church and walked in. My mom smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes..she looked at me and said we have a situation and I think it’s amazing that you’re here.

Before I had arrived at the church yesterday, a family had walked in. They were dirty but dressed in nice clothes. Two little girls with smiles so bright and a little baby in tow..they had come to church for Mother’s day. My dad (who is the pastor) quickly learned that someone in our town had told them to come to our church..because the pastor there loves everybody. My dad and mom quickly set to work to make them feel welcomed.

I arrived after Sunday school and my mom told me about the two little girls..the family is homeless..and destitute. I immediately prayed for wisdom and perseverance. I have a very tender heart and situations like this one are often hard for me to process. My dad, he’s a blessing y’all, ran to Hardee’s and brought back enough biscuits to feed the whole church. Saying that we always like to have breakfast on Sunday’s (which they do!). Those little girls tore into the biscuits and I struggled to keep the tears at bay. I asked if they’d like to go into big church or stay with me in the Sunday school room. They looked at me..and with sheepish expressions, asked if I could help them make a card for their mom for Mother’s Day..because they had nothing to give her.

I quickly assembled as many craft supplies as I could find and we set about making the most precious Mother’s day card you’ve ever seen. No store-bought card could rival the amount of love those girls put into those cards. We added glitter and pom-poms and some more glitter..until I wasn’t sure the paper would hold it all :) They were so proud and I was so humbled.

Shortly after the service started, the father brought the baby brother in. He’s 7 months old and quite small. They told me he was a special baby..that he’d been born prematurely and it’d been a fight for him to survive. I quickly told the father I’d love to keep him so he could enjoy the service. There was a moment of hesitation, but after seeing the girls giddy at work he agreed. Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

Little baby R was happy for all of 7 minutes…then came the loudest wail you’ve ever heard in your life. I’m not scared of babies..I’ve been around them my whole life. But this one scared me..as I picked him up I knew something wasn’t right. He was burning up with fever. When I tell you fever..I mean the kind that makes your heart stop because you know it’s too high. Having no baby supplies at hand, I struggled to find what I needed. Thankfully, I found some towels and a pacifier. He’s teething so I knew his teeth/gums were hurting. I found a towel and began to wipe away his tears and sweat.

I’m not often done in by smells. Having been raised on a farm, it takes a lot to make my stomach roll..but the smell of that little boy and his tears tore my heart to shreds. I cried because I knew this wasn’t the life anyone is supposed to live. Doing the best I could, I wiped his little hands, feet and neck. As soon as I placed a cool rag upon his forehead he quieted down. After a diaper change, he seemed better. I finally got him to take some formula and then he promptly started wailing again. I tried everything..rocking, walking, patting his back, a swing..nothing was working..until..he fell asleep.

The girls were troopers! Such little mother’s they are..telling me what he liked and what he didn’t like. I knew somehow I was going to have to tell my dad he needed a doctor desperately. After service I gave the girls a ride home (they had told me they walked a block to church..they walked 2 miles.) We deduced that the family (father, mother, daughter and baby) has no home of their own and they’ve been staying with relatives here and there trying to find work.

After dropping them off & giving hugs, I cried all the way to my grandmother’s house. I thought to myself how blessed I am..and how much I take it for granted. Here we would sit at Gram’s house..with more food than we needed while there are families so close to us with nothing. The great thing about my family? When we told them about the situation..it wasn’t a reply of oh that’s so sad..it was what can we do to help?.

Later that afternoon, after telling my dad about how sick I thought the baby was, he called the father to check on them. The dad expressed his concern about the baby’s temperature and humbly asked for a ride to the hospital. My dad and I set off immediately to take them to our local hospital. I have never been so thankful for a hospital that turns no one away as I was yesterday. I know at times I’ve often complained about it when I was the one sitting in the ER waiting to be seen, but I shall never complain again.

The doctors and nurses immediately went to work on the little baby. There was no judging..no questioning. Just a doctor who was sweet enough to realize there was more to the situation than what he was seeing. He spoke privately with my father who explained the situation. My dad stayed with the family late into the night. The doctors decided to keep the baby for 2 days. They’re concerned about his lungs and his temperature which was 102.8 upon intake.

The love for a Mother that I saw yesterday will forever be imprinted on my heart. The way that those girls loved their mother and the way that she loved them. The way my mother loved those little girls..the way my church showed God’s love yesterday by surrounding that family instead of judging them. That was what Mother’s day to me is all about..unconditional love.

So I pray that we won’t forget that. I hope that you will love someone..regardless of their station, their color or their life.

XoXo,
One Humbled-Heartbroken Lemon