DHS Home For The Holidays...

This year, our family decided to do something different for Thanksgiving.  We hosted a child from the local DHS shelter at our home for the holiday week.  As we walked into the DHS shelter, I had so many emotions run through my body. Of course I knew that children are placed in shelters, but cannot even begin to describe the experience it was to walk through the doors of the shelter. As we were sitting there waiting to meet this child, we were filled with excitement. We only wish as he walked out the doors with us he would have been able to be as excited, but instead he left there with huge tears rolling down his cheeks. He was petrified and rightfully so. He didn't know us and I am sure wondered if we were going to be good or bad to him. As we drove to the restaurant to eat dinner, Jeremy had to hold the conversation together because he knew that if I said a word I was going to lose it. After about 3 hours with our family, he started to loosen up a little bit. By the end of the first night, he told Jeremy to "sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" and then asked if he could stay at our house for a long time. Jeremy then told him that he could stay all weekend with us if he wanted.  Down the hallway listening to this sweet conversation crying, I pray to God that this amazing boy's family would be blessed this holiday season.

This Thanksgiving was by far the best Thanksgiving that we have ever experienced. Not only did we have perfect 78 degree weather, but we were able to spend it with an amazing little boy and our awesome family. We started the day by eating "smiley face" pancakes (per the child's request) and playing outside in the yard. For lunch, we went up to the fire station to eat with my family and were able to make 2 little boys' dreams come true by playing around for a couple of hours in the fire trucks/fire station. After leaving there, we headed
straight to Jeremy's family Thanksgiving and were blessed to spend the afternoon with good conversation, tasty food, and laughter. Both boys were so excited to get back to our house to set up  the Christmas tree. The sparkle in their eyes as they decorated the tree so proudly was priceless. We listened to corny Christmas music and danced around the tree in amazement at how beautifully they had decorated it. B-L-E-S-S-E-D is one word to describe this wonderful day.

We asked the boy the next day what he would want to do if he could choose anything and he simply replied, "I would want to go on a walk with you." As we get ready to take the boys to the park to play and then go for a walk, I started to get Carter ready. I did the normal routine of laying out his clothes and "spiking" his hair and noticed that this little boy was just watching us. I asked him, "Would you like me to spike your hair for you today?" He excitedly answered, "Yes, I want my hair spiked too." Wow! I quickly realized it wasn't that we needed to go out and spend a ton of money taking him to do things, all he wanted to do was enjoy spending quality time with people who cared for him. He appreciated the fact that people were willing to help him get ready and make him feel good about himself and that we were excited to take time out of our weekend and go on a walk with him. It is the simple things in life we should relish in!

The weekend was filled with a roller coaster of emotions. We were so excited to be spending the weekend with this special little boy, but so sad to have to return him to the shelter. As I lay in bed praying one night, I realized that God was going to use the time with this boy to help us to know how to pray better for the children in the shelters around here and more specifically for this one little boy and his family. I can now pray for a specific name, a precious face, and specific things I know this boy needs. I know a little regarding the background of his parents and can now pray hard for God to move in their lives and bless them every step of the way. Life is so hard sometimes and I do not want to waste time placing judgement, I only want to pray!

All in all, I can say that we set out to help make this weekend extra special for this child and oh how he helped us even more. This was a Thanksgiving our entire family will never forget.  A question everybody has asked us is "Wasn't it so hard to take him back?".  Our answer is that "Yes, it was hard, but it is also amazing to feel God's grace as you step out in faith and do something for HIS kingdom.  Sometimes it is the hard things in life that make a difference."  If you are reading this right now and have been touched by this story, I would encourage you to call DHS and ask for information regarding their "Home for the Holidays" program.