Spirit time

We throw in a little bit about the body, the mind, the Spirit, and a little humor to keep it fun. Today, it's time for some focus on our Spirits:

This week, although we tried to savor it and make it go slowly, passed all too quickly.

A week ago today, we learned that our son's best friend from 2nd grade, a boy he calls his brother, would have his last day of school today. Another casualty of this down-turned economy this boy’s daddy has not had a job for months and months so the family could no longer afford the tuition to come to our wonderful school.

So we prayed. And they prayed for nothing less than a miracle. And the boys prayed, each night before bed. A faithful prayer from a child of God, “God, Let me stay at my school! I don’t know how, but I know YOU can do a miracle!” How hard as a mom it is, to hear such hope and faith when you know that you can’t see how this is going to possibly happen. We learn so much from these children with their childlike faith.

We prayed and hoped for a miracle, but alas, Thursday morning came, and God’s answer still seemed to be that the kids would need to leave their school. My sweet friend tearfully brought a large cardboard box to school for both of her children to pack up their belongs at the days end. She hugged the teacher goodbye, with sad tears streaming down both of their faces. On the way out the door, our principal stopped her in the hall and said she needed to talk to her. “To sign the exit papers”, my friend assumed.

Our principal said to her how much we love their children and want them to stay and how a few families have anonymously pooled their money together to pay their children’s tuition in full for the remainder of the school year. My friend walked out to the car where her husband waited for her and shared with him what happened.

Together, alone in their car, they weeped. Husband and wife, unified in their Praise to Him despite their circumstances, held hands and cried out to God.

Overwhelmed.

Over Joyed.

Tears. Yes. But this time, unstoppable tears of unbelievable joy at the greatness of our God.

I loved how our school handled this. This little guy could have just had a private meeting with the principal to find out the news and then the rest of his class would just have noticed the next day, that he was still there. But instead, after lunch, the principal, vice-principal, and secretary went to my son’s “brother’s” classroom and talked to these 2nd graders about their friend and asked them what their prayer requests were for him. Of course, many of the students expressed their desire for him to stay and how much they were going to miss him, how much he meant to their little community of 18 2nd graders.

These 2nd graders (and his sister’s 4th grade class) got to see a miracle of God happen right before their eyes. Their prayers were answered by the body of Christ being His hands for someone in their midst. My son’s buddy got to hear of this miracle alongside his teacher and friends – together they all learned at that moment that he gets to stay! What a bonding moment as simultaneously, they experienced a miracle.

Someone paid the debt he had in full.

In these hard times, we get to look around us and see how we can be His Hands. Who needs a bag of groceries? Who needs their utilities paid? Who needs an extra hug? Who needs a smile? Who needs their children’s tuition paid for?

This family had come to a peace about pulling their children from our school but had a deep sadness too. Despite the difficulties surrounding months without income, they continued to praise God and hope for the best and believe HIM for His perfect will in their lives. And at the last hour, God smiled down and said yes.

My son got to witness this unfold before him – a lesson he will treasure in His heart for the rest of His life, I am sure. And so will seventeen other 2nd graders.