momofsix I am a homeschool mom with six children. View all articles | Contact author

   When you get discouraged, remind yourself, as David does, the miracles God does in your family. Just as the Jewish people would mark their miracle moments with stones or alters. We, too, need to mark our miracles from God to remember with our children.  They need to remember that our God is faithful and good. A friend of mine does this. She shared that she takes items from the places where God did something special and put sthem in a mirror box, reviewing them with her children. I can't remember to do that, but it sounds like a great idea.  I am working on a special journal for the children when they get older, encouragements  for them as parents, but, I am a long way from finishing that.  But, we do mark our miracles of God by the old method of oration.  The other night, my daughter asked, as we sat around our home made bonfire, to tell the miracle stories again (for the hundredth time). Instead of "ghost stories" the children ask for "miracle stories". Coming from a non-Christian background, it is a bit weird or odd to me, but kind of neat and fun. So, they will remember God's faithfulness and goodness every time they sit near a bond fire. Do you mark your miracles of God in a special way for the children to remember? Let us help our children to remember so well that they will have some type of tradition of sharing those stories with their children and then their children sharing with their children. I pray that our children never forget our faithful loving God, one that is to be respected, revered, and honored at all times.

  Here is one of the stories that I hope will encourage you  (God loves you very much and he is "no respecter of persons"). Yes, this really happened in our family. It was written shortly after it happened, and exactly as it happened. The children and I will never forget this scary Christmas shopping trip at the mall.

   My husband has been working horrible hours for the past three months. I have been having to do most things by myself, including shopping for the necessities. Well, I usually avoid going to the mall, but this time I really needed to go. I went without my double stroller because it recently broke, which made things difficult. So with six young children in hand, we went to the four shops in the mall. We shopped for about two and a half hours. The children were complaining of being very hungry and thirsty, and by this time baby and toddler were very fussy. We went into the St. Louis Bread shop, our last stop. This shop wasn't different than the mall -- a mad house with wall to wall people. I was anxious to get out of there because it was so crowded.

    After we ordered our food and drinks, we went to the bathroom.  Zach decided to cry about his finger. His two year old mind decided that he had to have a band-aid right then and right there. I tried to comfort him and tell him we would get one when he was home. That didn't work because he was crying a lot. I didn't think the store would bother with getting a band-aid because they were doing well just to keep the lines moving.

     Then a sweet gentle lady bent down and said how cute Zach was. She spoke with him. She was very focused on him and nothing would deter her from her focus on what he was saying to her as she talked to him, comforting him about his finger. She asked me permission to get a band-aid for him.  She went to the counter and demanded, in a polite but very authoritative and loud way,  a band-aid from the employees in the back of the store.  She did it in such an unusual way,  it was really weird.  She spoke with such authority that it sent chill bumps - that was the something unusual about her.

   I asked her what her name was. She told me it was Mary, as I could see on her name tag, but I wanted to make sure it was her name tag and not a borrowed uniform.  I asked her if she worked there. She confirmed that she did.  She was so nice and sweet.  She helped me with whatever she could, even though the store was ridiculously crowded.  I was concerned if she would get in trouble for helping me so much when the customers were lined up so thick.  She did not seem in the least bit in a hurry with me. She never seemed to care that she might be needed. I mean she was unusually calm, which I was not.

   As we left the store, the baby became inconsolable, and that is when I realized that she had a dirty diaper, and my five year old started crying. I quickly whisked the baby out of the stroller for a quick diaper change. I don't remember much in how I got the diaper changed. I think Mary helped watch the children while I took the baby into the restroom to change the diaper. To say I was stress is an understatement. I was getting increasingly anxious and frightened that the children were in danger because the crowds were getting worse, pushing past us with no care in knocking my toddlers over. They were very determined to get past us and get their drinks or table. The lady named Mary really helped me with the children, as if we were her only focus. I remember thinking how amazingly kind she was to help. She was so calm (which amazed me). So, I put the pile of items  in the stroller and  quickly left.

   I told my oldest daughter to hold Zach's hand. Out we went, very quickly.  I looked behind me several times as I led the way out to our car.   I thought about how I didn't want to go to the mall again during a holiday.  It was wall to wall people.  After we got a good ways outside the mall, I noticed Zach was gone. Then I heard someone call for me. Mary held the door of the mall open, calling for me. I told the children to stay put as I ran into the mall with the lady Mary.  She quickly led me to where Zach was standing in the midst of a crowd of people near the St. Louis Bread Co. store. I couldn't believe all these adults were all walking all around him, without a care about knocking him over (that in itself was a miracle because he is so very thin and tiny for his age). I was afraid to yell for him because if he moved one inch he would be trampled. I quickly got to him and parted the sea that he was in the middle of, grabbing him and pulling him off to the side.

   I went to him and pulled him to the side, asking him why did he leave us. He told me he had to get his coat from the store. When I explained that his coat was in the stroller, he said, "oh, okay".  Then he was willing to follow me out by hand.  I thanked the lady.  As I cried, balled my eyes out, on the way home because of what just happened, the children and I discussed how God protected Zach.  He could have been kidnapped, trampled, lost, oh the thoughts of the danger were overwhelming. We sang and praised God through the tears of thankfulness on the way home. We talked about writing Mary thank you letters.  As I was ready to send the children's  beautiful letters, and an order of flowers to her, I called the store to confirm that she worked there. To my surprise they said that they did not have anyone named Mary who worked there.  I described her "work clothes" which matched the other employees, and they confirmed were the correct work shirt for their store. They didn't have any Mary, or anyone that even came close to her description. I called the other stores, thinking maybe she meant she worked for one of the other stores in that chain of store.  None of them had anyone with the name of Mary who worked there nor anyone who looks like her. I called several cities in the surrounding area with the same responses: they don't have anyone with that description and definitely no one of that age. They assured me that they only have young teenage employees.

   Then I asked my children if we could have gotten the name wrong, although I knew we didn't because I said her name aloud ten times in the van to make sure I would remember and my daughter addressed her letter as soon as we got home. My oldest said she remembered reading her name tag.  I spoke with the manager of the store.  He said that he remembers getting the band aid that day, but he thought it was for an employee.

   No one knows of this Mary lady.  She wore their staff, employee shirt.  However, the manager said that no one even came close to her description. The children and I remember this blond haired lady about five foot eight with the work clothes on, and a name plate on her shirt. Our description is consistent. However, there is no way to contact her to send her our thank you notes or to send flowers to her. The lady said she worked there at that store. But, the manager assured me that he had no one over twenty as an employee. He said he was the oldest one in the store.

   My husband thinks it was an angel. I am still stunned by finding this out today. Can an angel really look like that (dyed blond hair with black roots, over-tanned wrinkled body, small in frame, nothing less than 48 or so)? If so, then the Bible is correct that we entertain angels and not even know it. Surely, God does protect us with his angels. I wonder if we even know half of the stories. I bet we will learn about all the miracles in which we didn't even recognize God's hand when we get to heaven. I think He is even more faithful than we realize.

God bless you all,

Missy

PS As I copied and posted this old blog entry, having written this right after it happened, I still can remember "Mary's" face to this day. I could easily remember it just as a photograph in my mind. I will never forget that very old weathered, tanned face with the blond hair and dark black roots, grown out about a 3/4 of an inch,and put up in a pony tail. I remember the uniform that fit her petite frame. I will never forget how she spoke to the employees in the back of the room with her authoritative, commanding voice, which made me wonder who she really was. Lastly, I will never forget how she was used to save two year old Zach's life. Surely, God's word is true. He watches over us. For anyone who wonders if God is real, I pray this story will plant a seed in your heart that he is. I pray that you will surrender your life to Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior who died for our sins. Please pick up your bible and read. Every word is truely inspired by God himself, put there to lead you into a relationship with him. Learn about God's character, what he loves and hates. Follow him. He is truely a good, kind, loving God.