Hey! I don't know if this will be a series of blogs from me, but lately, at the park, I've met some REALLY lovely people and wanted to share my park experience yesterday. I was headed to check out a new park and traffic was very bad. Honestly, I felt like the Lord was redirecting me to the same park we had visited last week, so, that's where we headed.
First up is Ms. Debra. Mother of two daughters. One very ill, one highly educated. Her sick child, Ashley, has had numerous surgeries from a debilitating sickness with no cure. She's headed for another surgery as we speak. I made sure to tell Ms. Debra I would pray for them, would you join me? Just one little prayer? She's from New Orleans, but raised her children in Baton Rouge. She was a care taker for disabled adults and now cares for her grandson during the day. What I loved most about Ms. Debra was that it was obvious that she truly has a heart to aid and assist others. What broke me down was when she told me she is now caring for her great niece from Texas to give her a chance at life, to excel at school, to have a childhood. This precious child was looking after her 18 year old autistic brother, was made fun of in school because she couldn't care for her own personal hygiene because she was looking after another. Right then and there, Ms. Debra began to cry and my heart cried with hers. I praised her and encouraged her for being such an incredible human being. We hugged, she headed home. It was my honor to have met Ms. Debra and I hope to run into her again.
Next up is a lady I will call, Sunshine, because I failed to get her name. She was there looking after a mentally disabled adult. I was thrilled that she was there because it gave me a great opportunity to teach my girls about others who are different. I encouraged Oregano to go and talk to Rebecca and she expressed that she was a little afraid, but she went and talked to her anyway. I walked a few feet away with Bugsy and to my delight I saw Reagan walk up to Sunshine and began to ask questions. They talked for a long time, so long in fact that Reagan snuggled up to her. LOL! Then Oregano and Bugsy played with Rebecca. Then off we went, back to home, sweet, home.
My heart was full yesterday afternoon. Not because of me, but because I had the opportunity to peer into others lives, to learn from them, hear their heart, their stories. Ultimately, the Lord is giving me the opportunity to let others know they are prayed for and to be encouraging. This is not me giving myself a pat on the back, but rather, me saying yes to God, yes to a mission. It's not always comfortable, but the rewards, immediate and long term, are fantastic.
What are your stories from meeting strangers? I would love to hear about them.
PS. I'm so sorry if my stories seem choppy. I'm trying not to get too lengthy. Stay with me. :)
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