I believe in miracles: I threw my back out while I was at the airport flying from Denver to DFW alone with my four kids. I had sat down on the floor to change the baby’s diaper, tried to stand up, and heard an audible “pop.” At first, I thought, “I’m ok, it’s not that bad.” But then I tried to stand and couldn’t. The pain was so bad that it brought me to tears. Our flight was delayed and we had already been traveling by car for several hours….my toddler needed to be changed, we needed food, and I was just stuck. I started praying for help, sent out several “mayday” texts to my husband and mother-in-law asking them to pray, and I told my 11-year-old and 9-year-old that they would have to be the most responsible big boys they’d ever been, and take over for Mom.
A speaker announced a new gate change. I told my boys they would have to carry everything over to the new gate. My 11-year-old had the baby, a backpack, a rolling suitcase, and the baby carrier, and my 9-year-old had my very heavy diaper bag and pushed his toddler sister’s stroller. I managed to shuffle very slowly to our new gate. My older boys never complained once. I was just so grateful to even be able to shuffle a little and lift my arms so I could hold the baby in my lap. The airline staff let us on the plane first and the kids were angels.
During the flight, I was trying to stay calm, but I had no idea what I was going to do when I got to DFW! All I could think was that my mother-in-law was our ride, and at the time, she was getting ready for back surgery, so she wouldn’t be able to help. My husband was out of town. We had all our carry-on stuff, three checked bags, and 2 car seats. I was in the air and couldn’t try to call any other friends or family. So I just prayed and tried to trust that it would work out. What else could I do?
When we got to baggage check I accidentally walked (shuffled) to the wrong carousel. I was close to my breaking point. I could see my mother-in-law parked outside the windows, so I said to my sons, “Do you see Nana out there? Go tell her we’re here and see if she can get a cart for us to carry our stuff.” I watched the windows to see that they got to her. I waited. And waited. And I couldn’t see my boys. All they had to do was go through that door to the outside…where are they? Then I realized that the door was also an elevator and I panicked. I turned in a slow circle, in what was by now, the mostly empty baggage claim area trying to figure out what to do next.
I turned around, and my friend Mandy was walking towards me. I felt like I was seeing some kind of a vision…..how could Mandy be here?
She said brightly, “Hi, how are you? What are you doing here?”
I burst into tears and cried, “I’m not good! I need help!” And I poured everything that had happened that day out.
Mandy, a mom of five kids herself, who was returning from a solo work trip, instantly took charge. She took the baby, held my toddler’s hand, and ran out to find my sons who had accidentally ended up on the basement level! When my mother-in-law saw me shuffling up to her at the curb, with this red-headed woman carrying my baby and a car seat, she looked so bewildered.
“Hi, I’m Mandy!” my friend said, as though she rescued her friends every day. In her business clothes, she climbed into my mother-in-law’s van and expertly installed both car seats.
What is also so extraordinary about this is that the previous year our mutual friend hurt her back to the point where she was bedridden for a month while she waited for surgery. Every day, Mandy drove half an hour to her house to take care of her two children. I had always thought this was so amazing and honestly been jealous. Our mutual friend and I had had a conversation about how I didn’t think I had anyone who would come through for me like that if I needed that kind of help. Then, of all people, who shows up when I throw MY back out, but Mandy. If my flight hadn’t been delayed, if I hadn’t walked to the wrong carousel, we wouldn’t have seen each other. Later Mandy said to me, “It was nothing! I think God was just showing off!”
When I got in the van, my mother-in-law had pillows for my back and food for all of us. She drove us to her house and took care of diapers, dinner, etc. until my husband got back to town and could take us home and I could climb into my bed. Every step of the way, we’d been taken care of. It was the fastest, clearest answer to a prayer I’ve ever had!
