When Helen brought Caleb into my bedroom crying with ear pain, I panicked. You may not have known it if you had been here though; I did a pretty good job on the outside so Helen would not panic too. I was sure it was an ear infection; I’ve been through that scene a few times. I thought about not taking him anywhere at all. I found myself justifying it in my head: I know people who just treat this with pain medication and let their child’s body fight the infection. But, if he were my child, I’d be dropping everything to take him to be seen and start antibiotics so that he’d quickly feel comfortable again. I couldn’t not take him somewhere. We had to have him seen; we could not add physical pain to the trauma he has already faced being totally uprooted. But, ear pain + no health insurance = not good.
When I asked for suggestions on Facebook, I really was only hoping for suggestions of low cost options. I was not expecting anyone to respond as you did. Your response was so fast that it seemed as if it didn’t take any thought at all. You saw the need, and you responded to it, without overthinking things or taking time to even consider the cost to you personally. And, on top of that, you even stepped away from your agenda that morning and met us there at the doctor’s to be with us in this whole thing.
Thank you for that.
Thank you for your generosity so that Caleb could get exactly what he needed, and thank you for making sure we were not alone. Caleb’s still taking his medicine now, days later, and is pain free and happy [insert sigh of relief]. Moreover, thank you for the example you were of genuine careless giving, in the purest sense of the word. I firmly believe that God multiplied your generosity by using it to encourage others to respond to people in their own lives as you did that morning to us.
You’re getting something special in the mail in the next day or two. Don’t consider it a thank-you gift. Your gift to Helen was a gift that we know does not need to be reciprocated. That’s what real gifts are. But, I want you to accept the pearls she’s sending you and allow them to be a reminder every time you wear them of God’s blessing to you when you respond to His nudge. When you give “one pearl” with a genuine and willing heart, He takes that gift and multiplies it 100 fold.
Be blessed today, sister.
