We gave her water

Sometimes you just don't know when God is going to call on you and what exactly you are supposed to do. Today was one of those days. My friend and I took our kids to a nature center for the day. We enjoyed a picnic by the creek. The children ran and played. We saw dragonflies, caterpillars, clams, and fish. Frigid creek water kept us from getting too hot and then the warm sun kept us from getting too cold. Our worst problem was going to be putting wet and muddy kids back in the van to go home.

But for Francesca the day was not going this well. She also brought her three boys to let them play in the creek. But when it was time to go home they all ignored her completely. She yelled for quite some time. And still they defied their mother. Mama T and I were just about to discuss whether or not we should intervene when she started shouting that she was hot and getting dehydrated. There was no more discussion. We jumped up and brought her water. We rounded up her boys (several times)and talked with her. One boy had to be physically removed from the creek and restrained before he agreed to put on his shoes.

What would Smockity have done? http://storkdok-nos.blogspot.com/

For us, we didn't consider sitting around and talking about what a horrible mother she was. But I am willing to admit the intervention we provided on Francesca's behalf may not have been helpful. Some could even say it was inappropriate. But we tried. And we offered what we could. And we listened to her. And we spoke words of encouragement and Truth to her. I felt no judgement towards her whatsoever. I felt compassion on this woman, made in the image of the very living God himself, dealing with such turmoil and so completely lost.
i have no idea if we made any difference whatsoever in her life or her day for that matter. But I do know that we gave her water. And we let her know there was one and only one who could offer her living water.