There was a knock on our door today. Two young children ages 6-8 were selling decorative pine cones. 3 sparkly Christmas colored pine cones wrapped in a plastic bag for a dollar each. I looked up and down the street to look for a guardian that is usually attached to the sight I was gazing upon. The guardian who usually explains where the funds were going, and how the kids would benefit from the sale. Looked to my left and looked to my right. There was no parent any where in sight. As my heart began to flutter I ran into the house to grab 5 one dollar bills. As we were exchanging dollars for cones I asked,
"Where is mommy?" they pointed to a small red truck and said. "Our dad is in the truck. Are you a Christian?"
Touched by the sweet girls inquiry I responded.
"Yes I am, and I think God brought you to our house today because my kids used to gather pine cones from the 100 year old tree at our farm. This year they couldn't since we moved away. So thank you for bringing these by!"
They scurried off to the next house as I shouted in a matronly manner, "Don't go into anybodies homes!" I then scurried off to my bedroom and started to cry my eyes out. I couldn't help assuming that their out of work father sitting in the truck whom was feeling so humiliated sending his kids off to fetch the daily dollar. I was compelled to meet this person.
I wiped my tears and walked to the truck. I knocked on the window interrupting the tall thin man reclined in the drivers seat talking on the phone facing the opposite direction. Which means he was not watching his sweet children as they went door to door. I saved my judgment for the blog and knocked on the window.
"Excuse me, Are those your children? Are you familiar with this neighborhood? " He told his caller to hold and nervously chuckled.
"Ha ha, yes their mine. They made the pine cones with their Grandma." Again with the unanswered question as I eyeballed his kids rounding the bend out of sight.
"Are you familiar with this neighborhood? I'm new to this neighborhood and haven't yet let my ki...."
The dad still on the phone told his caller to hold and slightly rolled his eyes.
"We live across the road. They made 20 bucks yesterday." He answered.
I persisted still eyeballing the now missing kids.
"So sorry to pry, I'm a little concerned, I've a few ham steaks that my kids won't eat would you like some?" The look on his face finally caught up with my brain and he nodded in silence accepting my offer.
I ran back to my house just as I noticed his kids round the bend from up the hill. I packed a bag of groceries, carrot packages, juice boxes, mac&cheese and a couple of frozen ham steaks. I walked them to the truck and without catching his sorrowful glaze I simply rested them in the back of the pick up.
"Thank you!" came from the cab as I walked back to my house.
My two smallest kids ages 4 and 6 watched the whole interaction. You see when we lived out in the country, there were no door to door salesmen, or children for that matter. Even the Jehovah Witness drove to the farm. They were shocked and immediately asked me why the kids came to our house.
"Because their father does not have a job and he's putting his kids to work to collect dinner money. (Sorry the assumption had to turn into a lesson somehow.)
They both shook their heads in agreement.
I can't help thinking about those kids. I pray for them as they raise money for their household in such a desperate fashion. We are so thankful. That we are!
Please find a family to sponsor during this holiday season and all year. Help keep the kids off the streets!!
2 comments:
Awesome post... I've donated a lot of food to folks recently. It's tough out there. I have friends out of work. I'm displaced into something I don't normally do- glad to have the job and love my coworkers. A friend of mine was laid off a couple of days before she was to go in for heart surgery. They were at least nice enough to leave her insurance for a couple months!
OMG! I was balling my eyes out as I read this! I am a single mother forced to live on a very small fixed income because I am disabled and the Social Security Administration does not feel I am disabled enough to get a different very small income, but it would be more than I get from my county welfare. I was trying to sell coffee at our local parade yesterday to make a little extra money for Thanksgiving and everyone either already had their coffee or they did not want to buy it from me. I do okay. I live in a special program for disabled people where my rent is only 1/3 of my income. So, thank you for this post. I found it because I was reading a post by Scary mommy and I had found her post via Cafe Mom. Thank you again and I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Melissa M. Denham
https://www.facebook.com/mdheart30
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