So…..
Almost 4 years ago we moved into this house - a mother/daughter set up. My mom was already living with us but it was time to move into separate houses. Well, my mom moved out and we have this empty house back there. When we moved in, my husband and I discussed what to do with this "other" house when Mina is no longer with us and we have been SO blessed of God that we wanted to be able to bless others. We imagined maybe unwed pregnant women who don't know the Lord, missionaries on the move, etc…..all temporary housing as 1) we cannot rent it as we are not zoned to rent and 2) we don't want to be landlords and are VERY particular about who is back there as it is attached to our house and the families will co-exist out of necessity (shared yard, decks, basement, etc). So yesterday I go to get my nails done and the lady who does my nail for the last 4 years wasn't there so I asked the only other lady I knew there if she could do my nails. Her name is Mary and of course, she said yes. Now in 4 years, Mary has done my nails ONCE. NO ONE does my nails except for Lee. So Mary and I were talking and it turns out that she has been down on her luck. Raising 4 children alone (21, 17, 14 and 13) and lost their home 3 years ago. Lost their apartment 3 months ago as she could no longer pay rent, buy food and take care of her four kids on what she makes. She does nails. She works 7 days a week, 12 hour days. NO help from dad - NONE……EVER. So, her and her daughter (17) are sleeping at a friends in a closet on an air mattress. Her 21 year old is living with her boyfriend to have somewhere to sleep and her two boys (13 and 14) had to go to their dad's as she had no way to care for them. They have NEVER been with dad and dad has never been involved in their lives but out of necessity, they are now with their dad that they barely know. Family split up. Mary an incredible woman who loves the Lord and is trusting God and all of a sudden God impressed upon my heart that I should show Mary the house and offer her to live there until Amanda (17) graduates from High School, which is the ONLY reason she hasn't' taken her family and gone somewhere else that they can afford to live. After all, we cannot charge rent so she would live there free. I showed her the house and immediately called Eric. Told him. Tonight Mary and her daughter Amanda came to meet with us and they are now sleeping in the bedroom back there. Mary had her food in her car as she was that close to living out of her car. AND, Erics heart is SO big that when he heard that her family was split, he told her that we (he and I) needed to pray but he cannot bear to know that a family is not together. At which point, Mary started crying…..hysterically. When I finally got it out of her why she was crying she said because she has been praying so hard and so much that God would somehow bring her boys back to her……So I'm pretty sure there isn't much to pray about….I'm pretty sure by the end of this weekend, Mary's boys will be home with mom……
Though God is active in my life SO much lately especially, He never ceases to amaze me how He, and He alone, can work things out like this. This could ONLY happen by divine intervention. I am just in tears over our blessing of being able to help a family in need and to know that God is using what He has provided for us in a way only He can.
Praise be to God, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. The Father of Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Redeemer and my Savior.
Until next time…..
