The Set Up

Today was special.

Today I totally unexpectedly ran into someone who very obviously was sent directly to me by God.

It was so weird. I came to a place expecting to attend a meeting and during the meeting a person, a woman, I had never met before began to share a parenting struggle she was facing.

It sounded like she was reading my dairy. She was repeating a story I lived 7 months ago. It was eerie. I instantly knew why she was in this meeting.

She explained that this very morning in the middle of a multi-week Daniel style fast, she in total desperation had pleaded with God to show her a Christian counselor she could use to help her and her family make it though this time.

The building we were in housed a Christian counselor, who I could without reservation recommend. One of the other women quickly got her his card.

She and I proceeded to talk for 2 hours. I saw fear and pain transform to hope on her face face during our conversation.

What profound words did I graciously impart to her?

Basically that I too, had faced a moment of desperation in my parenting. I had been the mother who's child, despite all my best efforts hurt, mistreated and pushed away other people.

I too had faced the shame of being a "public" person in our church, who had to openly admit I did not know how to handle my child's behavior. A mother who wept in front of two poor public school teachers at a conference. A mother who had to seek prayer partners for her own child.

But (and here's the best part) God made a way. A way for hope, A way for change, A way for transformation. In the deepest darkest moment where I wondered if I really failed as a parent- my son met up with the Holy Spirit and things changed.

My son is not perfect now, but he is open. He is not all loving but he is alert to love. He is not full of faith, but he is growing in faith. He went from openly questioning the existence of God, to embracing the saving grace of Christ. (He is a teenager trapped in the body of a 9 year old- but that is a story for another day)

Her child is not the same as mine but her pain is and the hope I had to offer was real.

I walked away from that meeting on a cloud. As I trotted to my car propelled by joy and gratitude for being allowed to do this, thought crossed my mind "I got to be an Angel today".
Not a supernatural being, but a messenger. A messenger of Hope.

It was pretty much pure Joy.