The other evening at family night while others were busy doing a puzzle and visiting, I picked up a book that was lying on the window sill and read two chapters. It was called, “He Restoreth My Soul” Stories of sudden loss. Judi asked me if I should be reading that book at that time of the night. I didn’t see any problem with it. Sunday evening I was regeretting reading those particular stories.
We were Christmas Caroling. Dale had split us up into three different groups so that our group wouldn’t be so huge and we would cover more ground. When we got there I voted to stay out in the van with the children and wait for the procession to begin instead of unloading everyone and loading back up seatbelts, carseats and all. Japheth would go in and see what group we were in and where we would be going. It took longer than I had anticipated . . . The children were already tired of sitting in the van. How would the evening go? Finally everyone spilled out of the church and began finding a vehicle to ride in. Japheth said that they needed some more seats so he asked Judi (who was staying at the church) if she would mind keeping our two oldest boys with her. That was ok, so Japheth sent and saw them enter the church building.
We packed three others into our back van seat and off we headed to enjoy this special activity of the Christmas season.
Japheth was the song leader in our group, so I just stayed in the van with Loraine and Wayne. It was below zero. An hour later two youngest were very ready to be somewhere besides in their car seats. I decided that this was enough of fussiness and asked if Japheth could drop us off at the church.
We were relieved to be there. A bit later it seemed so quiet, I asked Judi so where are the boys. She gave me a blank look as if she was teasing me. I thought, “No, Judi, this isn’t a time to be funny. I want to know where they are at.” She kept looking at me silently then finally answered, “Aren’t they with you? I thought you guys changed your mind.”
“No, I said, we left them here with you. You, haven’t seen them?”
Quickly, I ran for my coat, while calling for the only man in the building to help me go look for my boys outside. No little boys to be seen anywhere. What ever happened to them!!!!!!!!!!! Will we find two frozen little bodies in a snowbank somewhere? All kinds of thoughts went zooming through my head.
. . . Or where they safely in someone’s van Christmas caroling with their friends to their hearts content. I hoped so, but why didn’t the others question why our three and four year olds were not with their parents. That’s quite young to off with friends!!! Where were they?????????????
Cell phones are wonderful . . . but if no one answers what good are they? We tried calling several different ones and no one answered. So we waited. There were two older ladies in the kitchen preparing the hot chocolate and finger foods for cold, hungry carolers. We all were praying up a storm, silently in our hearts and waiting . . . .
Finally a call came and confirmed that indeed our boys were with another group. Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My boys arrived all happy and enjoying the evening as people came bustling in the door. I quickly pulled them aside to the nursery. Then the tears came lose. “Mama thought you guys might’ve died!!!!! Didn’t Papa tell you to stay here with Aunt Judi?” They seeing me bawling started in too.
What a heart lurch . . . realizing that we might have added to those stories of sudden loss.
God had kept them safe.
I’m praising the Lord that life today is normal.
2 comments:
Your story is to close to home for me. I had an experience very close to yours.
We had a foster child that we were hoping to adopt. She lived with us 2 1/2 months when we recieved the news that she was going to live with her great uncle. I was feeling so much loss already that day and emotionally couldn't handle anything.
The day she left I bought a bunch of strawberries and my sister in law came to help me with them.
My 5 yr. old and her 7 yr. old cousin were thrilled to play together. The phone rang as my sister in law was leaving so she just left quietly and I finished 20 min. later with my phone call. I suddenly realized that my 5 yr. old wasn't where she had been when I started with the phone conversation.
She was taking our foster daughter's leaving really hard so I thought she might be in her room crying. I looked there and she wasn't there. I started searching everywhere and searched everywhere twice. I was screaming and calling for her... no answer. I searched outside calling and calling. Finally a thought entered my head that maybe she went with my sister in law. I called her and said Is Sierra with you? She siad, No. My heart dropped and I started crying I said I can't find her she isn't anywhere around. My sister in law siad she will turn around and come back to help me look for her. I got off the phone with her and called GLen and said, SIerra is gone, I can't find her anywhere.
He works across the road at our farm so he siad he will come home right away.
I was crying and crying... and sort of praying, pretty much just "please Lord, please Lord. Less than a minute after I got off the phone with Glen the phone rang again, it was my sister in law. She said Sierra is in her van, she was hiding cause she wanted to go to her cousin's to play.
Needless to say when Sierra got back home I grabbed her and sobbed and sobbed, which in turn made her cry too. I think she learned her lesson and will never try that again.
Those times sure are scary, and it does make us appreciate a normal day with ALL of our children by our side. God bless you as you love and care for yours. Rachel
I certainly could identify with those feelings, Aimee! Remember the time when Weldon and Trenton went 'camping' on the other side of the road and we absolutely could not find them any where? I think that was when you were teaching here. Your heart just stops! Praise God for the happy ending then and now! :) God's best to you and yours! --Joy
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