I stood at the window and watched. For what felt like eternity although I’m sure it was no more than a few minutes. I saw a sight I had not seen before. One I had not thought of. As I have watched others come and go, I never imagined the yellow school bus would pull into the parking lot and drop elementary age children off for the evening. Instantly, my chest cavity burned as my heart melted away.
The hotel that serves as an apartment complex houses children. Backpacks carrying their homework, grades, and notes from school are strapped across their winter jackets. One room with a bathroom for the night. My mind wandered. They have no table, where do they practice spelling words. There is no stove, how will they eat a hot meal. The yard is a paved driveway full of drugs and violence, where will they play. My heart sunk deeper and deeper into the black hole of my chest as tears welled in my eyes. Dear Jesus, hear my tears as I am without words.
I could be annoyed as most are and at times as I am. I felt faint at the idea that elementary school children rode the bus to their hotel parking lot for home, today. I wonder if they’re old enough to realize their reality is harsh. I felt a deep sense of compassion for every child living in that hotel. I felt broken for every momma who has fallen on hard times or drugs and found herself raising her babies in a hotel apartment.
I’ve lived through hard times. Seasons of life where poverty stricken would have been an upgrade. A single room in the barn on the back of my grandparents property. I have run out of diapers and substituted t-shirts wrapped around their bottoms for days. Caught rides everywhere we went as we didn’t own a car. Worked for pennies. Wished I had more. I had a yard with grass as a child to play in. My children had a yard to call theirs.
My God let me never forget there are people who dream of what I have been blessed with. You are good to me. Better than I deserve. Let me be humble and grateful for if it weren’t for grace, there go I.
Christmas looks different for many. One room with a bathroom in the hotel doesn’t leave much space for a tree and likely few if any gifts. 💔
