A Tale of Remembrance

A few years ago they felt the call to leave all that was familiar and comfortable and somewhat secure.

For a land that three of the four had never called home.

After months and months of stressful paperwork and interviews and trips they did make,

They arrived on Christmas Eve in the land of the mother's birth.

For while it was all wonderful and new, especially for the littles one dear.

Until school started in this strange and new land and then it was many weeks of tears...and of GRACE.

The father spent some 8 hours a day searching and searching and searching for work.

When the job he wanted did not quite appear, he went to work assisting others so that groceries could be bought.

The father hung doors and the mother cleaned homes.  The children went to school and with time they were more happy and content with their new school and routine and teachers so dear.

The month of August brought an office job for the mother.  The month of September brought a good job for the man.  The month of October saw their dream of a home come true.

After 10 months of living 6 to a house, to a little white house in the country they went.  So many and many and many boxes they moved.  Everyone in their world wanted to bless them it seemed.  

It took the woman 6 long weeks to move in.  Everything had to have a place and in it's place it was put.  If there was no need or simply no room, it was passed on to someone else who needed it more.

The Body of Christ brought 2 carloads of food.  There wasn't enough room to put it away so generous the hearts of these God's tribe.  

There were cards that arrived with gift cards and checks and sweet "you're loved and prayed for" all written inside.  The family simply cried with gratitude and prayed that God in heaven would bless in return.

The family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years 2020.  Life seemed to be taking on a little routine it seemed.  

At times it seemed almost hard to remember what life was like before all of this.  But always their hearts ached with the misses of the many, many people they left behind in the land of their birth

February brought the painful news of yet another needed move.  God will provide, He always does, they cried.

And then the ugly face of unemployment raised itself once again.  And in the middle of this private pain, Corona virus hit their world.  The women's hours were cut and the man once again sat at his computer and wept, "Lord not again!"

After many stressful weeks of searching for a new home, a tiny, green house seemed to be the place.  They moved once again and once again found a home.  

The children were sent home to study and with broken hearts left friends and mentors and routine they had come to love.  

The mother's heart broke.  "Whatever will I do", her heart cried out.  "My children are home and I am obviously not." 

God raised up a Grandmother and Auntie who love, these children day in and day out giving them lessons and projects and spelling bees too.  And the mother went to work with eyes full of tears but a heart full of peace.

The cars both need repairs.  The computer is so old, they hope it survives just a little bit more.  The daughter has outgrown her clothes, I am told.

But the rent is paid for now and the bills all caught up.  And the parents pray every day that tomorrow will bring the news.  News of a job and healing of the land.

Then the woman was given her hours all back, the man found a temporary job but praise the Lord for that!

And the people of God, some of them remain unnamed, gave and gave and gave some more and now the family weeps because God through His tribe has provided once more. 

Today as the woman bent over her iron, she wept with thanksgiving that next week more shirts she would have to clean and mend and iron.  

And Lord bless the people who left the gift today, the father and mother truly have no idea who but pray that He will bless each life over and over and over anew.   

If you should feel helpless and hopeless and sad, please remember this family who has seen over and over in the land of the living how completely gracious and generous and kind God is.  And will be forever and ever, Amen.

                                                                  --From a mother's heart--