For as long as I've been a mom, I've prayed for God to provide a woman in my life who would love my children as if they were her own family. When I was in college and before Emma was born, I would spend so much time with other kids that I soon felt like they were my own nephews and nieces. I loved being part of a family and I know those parents appreciated having another adult loving on their children. I did it because I genuinely loved those kids and I wanted to bless their parents by taking really good care of them. When Emma was born, I didn't have a lot of need to leave the house and I didn't use sitters very often. From the ages of 2-5, we were in Brazil and I rarely left her with a sitter; that just wasn't very common in their culture. I never really felt like I needed or wanted to leave her, so it wasn't like I was desperate. I did, however, miss having the option to go on an occasional date with Kevin. When we finally moved to the Quad Cities, I spent the first year here just trying to adjust, only having a sitter a few times.
I met Jamie in October of this past year through a mutual friend. She had recently quit her job at a bank because she felt like God wanted her to serve others through taking care of their kids. Basically, she was going to be a full-time, flexible babysitter. Ironically, or not so much, that month I had received an email asking for volunteer help at World Relief in Moline. I wanted to start giving time, energy and love into our community, and I felt very strongly that World Relief was the place for me. Jamie had a free schedule so we set up a weekly time for her to come to my house to watch the girls so I could go to Moline to volunteer at WR. Timing was perfect. Jamie was a perfect fit for our family. The girls fell in love with her immediately, and she has since become a part of our family. I cannot even explain how great of an answer to prayer she is for me! She loves the girls in a way I've seen very few outside our families love them. She gives and gives and gives and she always has a smile on her face. Her personal story is one of heartache and trial and joy and perseverance and I feel so honored to call her my friend. My heart just smiles when I hear her name. How grateful I am to know this woman! She's so full of love and grace and beauty and energy and creativity and she has a heart of gold!
When I leave the girls with Jamie, I don't worry or wonder if they're OK. I know without a doubt that they are having an incredible time, being loved by an amazing woman. I now go to World Relief every Friday and Emma really looks forward to her time with Jamie. Adri usually takes a nap while she's here, but her first question when she wakes up is, "Is Jamie still here?"
There are many nights when Kevin and I come home from a date and Jamie stays for another few hours just to talk. Sometimes the girls are up, depending on the time, but more often, they're in bed and she and I will stay up talking. I love hearing more about her story and I am so amazed that she's chosen to serve others and pour into their children. She is such a God-send and our whole family is grateful for her. We've been debating changing her name from Miss Jamie to Aunt Jamie. We just really, really love her and feel like she's officially part of our family!
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