I wasn’t planning to write again this week on my blog at least, but I had a pretty amazing thing happen today that I wanted to share. A normal morning, turned into a “chance” meeting with someone that I have not been able to take my mind off all day.

Tim had to work this weekend, so the kids and I wanted to find something to do to fill out our time. Honestly, Marissa asks all week, “so, what are we going to do this Saturday?” She loves new adventures and if our answer is “we don’t have money,” she is great at giving some options that don’t require any money. She just LOVES to go out and do things. So, this week was no different. I decided that we would test out a playland that is at a local church in our area. It is free (which is awesome) and something that both of our kids have wanted to go to for quite some time.

We arrived shortly after they opened and realized that it wasn’t what Marissa expected. She was expecting something much larger. It was also CRAZY busy – they have a max capacity of 160 people and at one point they were really close to turning people away! I found a table to sit at while the kids played and Marissa spent a lot of time by me, just watching others and sitting on my lap. She would go in and out, but mostly out by me.

As the crowds started picking up, I told other parents they were welcome to sit at our table. A dad joined me first, then another mom walked in and she was having a hard time finding a place to sit. I again, offered to share our table. I was watching my kids play, but overheard the mom at my table tell another person that one of her sons was autistic. I knew then I needed to jump into that conversation. It wasn’t long and we were sharing a bit about our families and how things were going for us. It is when I asked her more about her family and where she came from that she shared this story.

Chloe (not her real name) told me that she moved here from down south just 3 months earlier. Her 6 year old son who was diagnosed with autism and needed help. In the state she was in, the therapy he needed was not available. She knew he needed the help, so she decided to make the move to Michigan where she was able to get her son the help he needed. Here is the part that got me, she couldn’t afford housing so she put her children in Foster Care and is currently living in a local mission until she can save for a house. Her son is now getting the therapy he needs. She just kept saying, “God will give me what I need to get a home and provide for my kids.” She had complete confidence in that. You guys, this is exactly what God has been teaching me lately, when you are at your lowest, that is when God does his best work. I shared this with her and in the middle of the chaos of a packed playland, we were both in tears. She is able to spend the weekends with her kids, which is why she was there today.

I don’t know about you, but I am not facing anything close to what she is facing. These past few weeks have been some of the hardest that we’ve had to deal with in regards to our daughter, but God reminded me again today that He’s in control because it is when we can do nothing else, that only God can move… and He always does, in His time.

The other thing God reminded me today was that I need to be open to sharing my story. When I went to the playland this morning, I was not expecting to talk to anyone. I brought a book and was hoping to have a little down time. I truly believe this moment was a gift from God and if I hadn’t been open to this conversation, I would have missed out from hearing what God wanted me to hear today. I’m so thankful for this moment.