Today I woke up at 4:30 am feeling extra thankful. I get to go pick up my seven-year-old son from Mobile, Alabama for our weekend visit. It truly amazes me that The Lovelady Center has allowed me to go and pick him up and bring him back for a visit, every other weekend, since August of this year. My three-year-old and one-year-old daughters live with me here at the Center, full-time.
As a mother with not only one but two busy little ones, I choose to wake up at 4:30 every morning so that I am able to spend time with God. That way, when they wake up, my cup is full, and I can fill their cups. I woke them up about 6:30 today, since Friday is their “sleep in” day because we have big group devotion at 8 am rather than the other weekdays' 7 am devotion.
I wake my girls up this morning to the "Good Morning" song by Gracie’s Corner. As we get ready for the day, we listen to children's worship music. We head out of the room around 7:15 am and as we walk to KidZone, the girls notice 2 pumpkins and line them up to sit on them, playing as if they are in a car. I get tickled at their little imaginations. As we walk to pre-school, I speak life over them, talking about the fruits of the Spirit and how to love like Jesus does. I am huge on trying everything I can to raise them up in Christ, a way I wish I had been. We arrive at KidZone and I kiss them both goodbye for the day. Although it is a huge blessing to have my daughters here with me, it is challenging while working a program - but it is all in God’s plan. He gets me through and gives me the ability and strength. He made a way for this program to teach me to be a good mother.
By 7:33 am, I am sitting at the altar, in the huge devotion area, writing. My Bible is open to Jeremiah Chapter 2, and I am listening to worship music, waiting for devotion to start. After devotion, I report to my job-readiness position in housekeeping – a position I chose out of a few options because I truly enjoy keeping our home clean and serving others. We clean common areas, offices, pull trash, and just make sure this home God gave us is taken care of.
At 11 am I pick my girls up from KidZone, and we leave the Center and travel to South Alabama to pick up my son and take him back to Birmingham with us.
The Lovelady Center is decorated for Christmas on a large scale. My children have an excitement in their eyes that fills me with joy. We visit every tree, look at the Winter Wonderland, and hang out with other moms and kids. After dinner, we play and sing and read together. By 9 pm we are getting in pajamas and they fall asleep, happy.
At 10:12 pm I worship and pray in my room, thanking God for all these blessings and for The Lovelady Center making a day like this possible for me and my children. What seems to others as a tough way to have to restore oneself, or even an impossible thing to do, is actually the best thing I’ve ever done for us. It is rewarding, eventful, and the best experience I could go through.
To everyone who makes this program a reality, Merry Christmas, from a very thankful Mom!