It was very cold that winter at the YMCA, and sometimes the old boiler didn’t heat the entire building. Because the Y was located in a ghetto area, the streets were the last to get plowed so we had many lean weeks, with very little money coming in.

I arrived very early one morning, so I could get things done before parents started bringing in children to our daycare center. When the first teacher arrived, as well as a few of the parents and kids, they were shocked to find out the center was locked!

I said, “No problem, I have a key!”

Well the key didn’t fit! Someone had changed the lock! We told the parents to leave the kids with us anyway, be careful going to work, and don’t worry, everything will be OK.

This scene played over and over again, until all the children had arrived. It was now about 8am. I started making phone calls to Deloris, the Director and Swim Instructor, and calls to the members of the Board of Directors. One person finally told me that they closed the daycare center, because it really wasn’t making any money, and that the second floor cost too much to heat.

I hit the ceiling! “YOU CAN NOT DO THIS TO THESE PARENTS WITHOUT NOTIFYING THEM IN ADVANCE! They can not afford to miss time at work, they struggle as is! You can NOT do this!”

The President of the Board, who was also now the town’s Mayor, told me to mind my own business! I reminded him of all we had accomplished in such a short time, and that if it wasn’t the middle of winter, we would be filled to capacity in all programs. He still said No to opening the center again.

So with my heart beating a million miles a minute, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, Thanked God in Advanced… And said, “What if someone gave you, (the Y), X amount of dollars a week to stay open?”

The Mayor asked, “who?”

I said, “I guess it’s me.”

He said ok. And from that moment on, I owned a daycare center!

With what money did I take on this venture? None! But, God will supply ALL our needs!

The parents were very happy that I now was completely in charge of the center. Still shaken a little by the experience, I started rehearsing how I was going to break the news to my husband that my meager salary was now going to pay the rent and supplies for a daycare center.

God give me the strength and courage for this new venture… I started to gather things to put in my car, and because my hands were full, I put them down on the reception desk. I chained the wrought iron gate, so it stayed open. This was a gate that was always locked. You had to be buzzed in, and the gate would then unlock. As I left the building, there were two young girls standing on the steps of the Y, FREEZING! I told them to go inside and wait for me.

They said “We are not allowed in there!”

I asked why not. They told me they were “STREET GIRLS.” (Prostitutes.)

“You Are Babies! Now get inside, sit on the couch, and wait for me!”

As I continued back and forth loading my car, which was parked across the street, I passed a remark to the girl at the reception desk, that tomorrow I was going to teach the kids how to make fabric flowers. As I crossed the street, a woman was approaching from the other side. She was carrying books in her arms, and in her hands were FABRIC FLOWERS!

I smiled, and shook my head. She asked me if I was Carole. I said I was.

She told me the Lord had told her to write me a letter…hurry up and deliver it quickly because I was about to leave for the day, that I was disappointed and… TO BRING THOSE FABRIC FLOWERS!.

As we both entered the building the girl at the desk said “Oh! You found samples of the fabric flowers in your car.”

I said “No! GOD DELIVERS FASTER THAN FTD!”

The woman and I walked through the open gate, and approached the young girls. She then handed me the letter.

It read:

Chains and links and open doors Shall be open to them all…

(Now I’m crying)

The undesirable of the streets shall be your extra hands…

(We are all crying.)

These are my children. You are to love my children. You are to teach them in all the Human arts.

(In my mind I am thinking, What do I know about All the human arts?)

The next line was… I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, AND WHAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH. I WILL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEEDS…

TEACH THEM OF MY GLORY. Let them experience MY LOVE THROUGH YOUR LOVE. You will plow the fields in other areas.

(Again in my mind I’m asking “How am I going to do this?”)

You will have a fleet of vehicles… You will have doors open unto you Do MY will….and IT will be done

TRUST IN ME,

YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

* * *

I kissed the woman goodbye, and thanked her. I have only seen her once since then, 30 years ago, She asked me if I remembered her. HOW COULD I EVER FORGET HER? THAT LETTER CHANGED ALL OUR LIVES!

© Carole Devecka God Given Daisies CaroleDevecka@comcast.net

To see the first story in this series: These Are My Children

Next story: Strange Inheritance