This is a short testimony I wanted to share with you. Nothing crazy exciting or dramatic but I wanted to show that God DOES answer the desires of our heart.
Nearly four years ago back in 2010, I was 19 years old and finishing my first summer at the Mesa Arts Center. It was my first Mon-Fri job and I actually wasn't crazy about working there. What I was crazy about were these two little blond sisters who were 4 and 7 at the time. It was the last day of camp and over the 8 weeks I had worked there I had grown smitten over these two cuties. They were fun, adorable, energized, affectionate, smart, and just a great pair of kids. I was nervous and anxious on the night before the last day of camp, because I wasn't sure if I was ever going to see them again. So my 19 year old self was determined that I was going to connect with them. I sat in my messy pink and orange room and I wrote a note in my nicest handwriting to their mother, whom I had never met. The note explained that I had really gotten to know the girls and that they were really good kids and that I was going to miss them. It said that if the girls ever needed a babysitter that I would be more than happy and always open to do it.
I put the letter in an envelope and brought it to work on the last day. But before I gave it to the girl to give to their mom, I decided not to go through with it. I had never met their mother and heard things from the other workers that she was uptight and strict and I thought getting a letter like would seriously creep her out. I accepted that when you work with kids, part of the job is loving the kids and then saying goodbye to them forever some times. As sad as it sounds, It's something I've had to accept over the years. It makes life easier if you don't let yourself get too attached.
A year later I was back at Summer Arts Camp and guess whose beautiful shinning faces were there on the first day?? My little Veronica and Marcella. I was so excited. And for three more summers after that I said good bye to them, hoping and praying they would be there again next camp.
The girls also attended Fall, Winter, and Spring camps which were all shorter and some times I didn't work them. This past Fall break they were there and I had striked up a conversation with the younger sister, Veronica and asked her what school she went to. She told me the name of an elementary school only a quarter of a mile away from the center, which would only be a mile and a half away from my home. I was confused because I thought they had attended a Montessori in way East Mesa so I asker her where she lived. She told me she lived on Orange street.... which was ONE street over from my house. I kept prying so I could figure out just how close she lived but a now 7 year old didn't know much about it. So I asked her older sister, Marcella, who gave me an exact address. After a quick google maps search I found out that they had lived IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. Not even a quarter of a mile away. I could WALK there. I was a little excited that they lived so close.
I took a chance and decided to invite them to my Halloween party I was having at my house, because it was going to be family friendly with a bunch of activities for kids. I wrote down the party information and my address and phone number and said goodbye to them on the last day of camp.
A couple weeks went by and I hadn't received a phone call. I was nervous that their mother was weirded out that their drama teacher had invited them over to her house. Eventually I just forgot about it and accepted they weren't coming.
The night of the party were were about 30 minutes in when the doorbell rights and look who is on my doorstep! Veronica and Marcella in full costume with their mother as an escort. I couldn't believe it! Their mom came in and chatted with me for a bit. She was super nice and charismatic and Veronica even convinced her to put on a costume from our costume box since she didn't wear one. She wore a hula skirt and her sports bra that she goes running in and was a hula girl! She let the girls run around the party while she played Just Dance all night and even sang a few songs on karaoke. Everything I had heard about their mother, Lisa, had been completely wrong. She was such a cool mom and she thanked me for giving the girls an opportunity to have "good clean fun" for Halloween.
(Story almost over)
A month or so later I get a call from Lisa which surprised me. She had kept my number from the paper I had given the girls from Halloween. She explained to me that she had work early in the morning and that the school bus came an hour and a half after she would have to leave. She didn't feel comfortable leaving the girls home alone for that long and she was wondering if I could watch them during that time. YES! Of course!
So now every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday I walk down to their cute and organized home and I eat breakfast with the girls, help get their things ready, and walk them down to their bus stop.
Only four years ago God had really given me a big heart for these girls and put the desire on my heart to babysit them. And tomorrow morning I will be seeing them again! I was patient and God answered my desires.
And after all this, I've realized that God was the one who ignited the desire in my heart to begin with and in His time it was fulfilled.
[UPDATE]
It's currently January of 2015 and I had written this blog in December of 2013! It was great getting to reread this story and be reminded of how God really does care about our seemingly tiny wants. I didn't babysit Veronica and Marcella very much longer after that as it was time for me to move out of my mothers house shortly after. However, I still stay in contact with the girls and visit them when I'm in town. I love the three of them so much and am so thrilled they are apart of my life. Not sure they'll ever see this but if you do, know that I love you and I'm so blessed to have you as friends.
PTL
No comments:
Post a Comment