Angels to the rescue

Today when I walked in what was once my home and refuge I felt such a sense of despair
So hard to believe it all came to this.
There was no food , a message on the phone that utilities and water were to be turned off by Friday, and there was no physical sign this had once been a home , pictures on the wall, knick knacks on the shelves, toys in the corner it was all gone.

First problem to be addressed was the food , a few phone calls were made by my cousin and off we went to the Salvation Army downtown San Antonio
It was horrible the woman heading the front desk made not only me but everyone in front of me and behind me that we were something dirty that had to be dealt with quickly and removed from the property, perhaps she had a bad day , perhaps it was overwhelming - I don't know.
I only know if I was made to feel like pond scum which of course only resulted in me being driven to tears and I knew it was not as bad for me as the people around me. I could see that . I have for many years worked with charity organizations , food drives , toy drives , clothing drives etc.. and never EVER thought to be in the situation I found myself in today.

A woman with threadbare tennis shoes came and handed me tissues , another woman brought me a cup of water , around me people with less than I tried to comfort me which just made me cry harder , meanwhile the arrogant receptionist glared at me all the harder because I was obviously upsetting the feeling of subdued quiet which she installed in the room.

When another woman approached the receptionist she informed her that my husband was in jail I was trying to receive food with no paperwork- whereas I whirled around and told her in a scathing voice "If she'd been listening instead of cutting me off and telling me she didn't want my life history she would have heard me say " I was divorcing my husband , there was a restraining order against him and I needed food because I had no money and had walked back into the house with nothing more than a few cans and boxes on the shelf."

The other women gathered around me and started relaying similar stories and grievances, with a set upon look on her face she thrust papers in my hand and informed me she was sorry but she could only help me this once , I received a large bag of groceries and started to walk away .

Before I could reach the door the other women were handing me flyers and places where I could receive help , napkins and wads of papers with phone numbers and organizations were handed to me with prayers , hugs and tears .

One woman with her mother was trying to walk down the stairs with her walker she said to catch her bus , feeling extremely guilty that the Lord had sent this woman to render me aid and I was watching her walk away , me and my cousin immediately informed at the same moment we would give her and her elderly mother a ride .

She looked at me with a smile and said " It looks like the Lord sent us to each other today" She said " I'm on my way to a church called the FAITH OUTREACH CENTER.
and they are True Christians , they will show you what lending a helping hand is about"

After a short ride we arrived at a small building in a small strip center.I felt very nervous about even entering after my experience with the fancy chrome and glass Salvation Army .
I was welcomed by a lovely grandmotherly woman who asked me to sign a guestbook , shood me into a back room where after asking me my kids ages where she started showing me racks of clothes. Everyone was welcomed and told we could choose three outfits per family member and as soon as we were done we could come to the back room and recieve some groceries.

At first I didn't want to take any clothes feeling me and the children were allright in that respect , but another woman who worked in the church came forward and insited I look at the clothing perhaps for school , seeing several blue shirts and dark blue pants I choose several for the kids . By this time everyone had gone into the back room and gotten a bag of groceries.
Feeling shy I was led back there by the grandmother who when she found out I had three children immediately started stuffing cereal and other treats for the children into a bag. She than filled another bag with canned food goods and boxes,asing questions she than took my hand offered me a deep warm hug and told me what days to come so I could bring the kids for bible classes where we could also eat at the same time. Of Course I started crying again!!!She held my hands closed her eyes and prayed for me to trust God to see me thru my troubled times.

We than drove our new friends home to a retirement complex and amid hugs and thanks exchanged phone numbers and addresses.

But my Angels that day numbered more than four

My neighbor across the street who me and the children have called Grandma dolly more tan once on finding I had no utensils , cups , or other things brought ANOTHER bag of canned goods , tongs,paper plates toothpaste , etc...

Granny Baird waved me over from her driveway as we were unloading and hugged me and offered to watch the children,and help in any way she could so,
So its late about 10:00 pm I have a childs head on my lap , another in her pink footy pjamas is laying on the mattress on the floor yawning and insisting she is not sleepy, the other child is in the bath insisting to me that playing in the hose makes you clean.
I'm saying my prayers, and thanking God for my Angels I met today