Both Richard and I had a long rough week, or in our minds it was a rough week. As you know I work with the crisis center on island, the center is fairly full at the moment with mothers and 10 kids between the ages of 1-10. They are all living in a place the size of our condo, sleeping 6 to a room in bunk beds. As well school starting up in a few weeks the center is getting lots of calls from past clients needing help to provide school supplies for their children.
It got me thinking I remember just how important it was when I was a kid to go back to school in brand name jeans and you had to have the best of everything. How unaware just how lucky I was to have such a wonderful and supportive family, to never go without. Here we have 20 kids in the outreach program that would just like to pencils and paper to take to school on their first day.
So, we went out school shopping, which is interest not ever having a kid and having no clue what to get for them! I ended up with about 10 pack packs full of crayons, markers, notebooks, pencils, erasers and all sorts of other stuff. Of course I couldn’t show up with put cookies, so I had to make a stop to pick them up as well.
I arrived at the center and it was busy with kids happily playing while their mothers we working to get them ready for church. The most beautiful little girl ran out in her best Sunday dress and as she carefully picked out a cookie with pink frosting she gave me a big hug and kiss being careful not to get her pretty dress dirty.
I also had the pleasure of meeting a past client that was there to receive assistance as her daughter was very sick and she needed help booking a ticket take her back home.
So as you think how rough your life is, how awful your life is… Be grateful for all that you have. These poor women and children have been abused by someone who was supposed to love and take care of them and they made the brave decision to walk away with nothing but their children and clothes on their back to try and find a better life for them and their children.
The Johnsons 