HELP!!!

A lady in our church had a vision for her neighborhood and the hurting people in it. She went door to door inviting children to AWANA. She said with each door the kids got excited and then followed her to the next door. She said she looked like the Pied Piper! At the end of the walk, she realized she needed help and enlisted, a more then willing, bus driver to collect the children to bring them to church.

One specific family has 4 little boys whose names all start with the same letter. Last week, only one little boy came. I had those leaders asking me if I knew where the others were. This week I prayed specifically for that family.

This morning at church, I popped into KIDS Church to help cover for teachers who would not be there. I was reading over the scripture preparing a lesson when I head the "NEWBIES" announced-those are the kids that are there for the first time. I heard a familiar name paired with another familiar name and then another-I turned around quickly, much to my DELIGHT were 3 of the 4 boys!!!! They were at church on a Sunday!! The fourth little boy was in our preschool department!

I hugged each of them and asked if "the Pied Piper" had brought them. They said no. I asked if their mom dropped them off and went back home. They said no. I asked if she brought them and stayed and they said YES!!! THERE MOM WAS AT CHURCH!!! I plopped myself right between those kids. I know there are needs in the family so I attempted to "fill them out" so to speak. I looked at one child and he had on ADIDAS tennis shoes. Our Billy had,had shoes just like those but had grown out of them. I then looked at the feet of the oldest of the children. To my surprise, he was wearing my old shoes! I had gotten rid of the shoes because they were worn out with missing tread on the bottom. Billy has to wear an orthopetic insert so none of his shoes have insoles in them.

I had to leave the room to cry...those precious boys were wearing our discards! They were not even fit for Good Will so I had taken them to the recycling center to be given away. Now, I looked at my old shoes-3 sizes too big for the feet they were on.

I was completely humbled. I thought I was doing a good job of getting rid of the "stuff" in my life. Those things we consider needs are often wants for others.

Several months ago, I bought Billy a pair of tennis shoes off clearance. Well, they just do not work for me. I attempted to take them back but I had no receipt and, well, it apparently was a long time ago when I bought them. They offered me $4 for them to which I said, "No thank you." I saw those shoes tonight in the closet- size 3-just the size the little guy told me he wore! I think I know a little boy is about to get a brand new pair of shoes that FIT!