A Sunday to Remember!

So, this Sunday was like none other.
It was 1978.
 

Unknown to me, Divine intervention was on the menu today.
 

I woke up and got my day going as I always had.
I was so excited thinking about this up coming week as I would finally head out tomorrow for my very first interview into the Dental field. I was to see a local DDS about an amazing new career I had applied for. I knew my life was about to change forever once I enter the working world and started this new job....I had to pass the interview though first.

 

So today,  I would spend my Sunday watching the children playing in the front yard. I would focus on family. Just enjoying my two boy's. The joy of life. Running here and running there. I was watching them yelling and laughing with one another without a care in the world. They were so adorable. Brothers loving each other and having a wonderful time. I sat watching them thinking with my new job coming up days like this may be few and far between, I knew I needed to take in the joys of Motherhood today with no other concerns on my mind. It will be hard to be away from the children but I need to help with mounting bills and accept the responsibilities of becoming a working parent.
I had sat watching them for a very long time.
 

So, I got up to pour myself another cup of coffee in the kitchen so I could sit a bit longer. Just then, I heard a loud sound outside and I turned back for a second to see a huge orange church bus go past the living room window. As it did I noticed the name on the bus in that instant, I got my coffee and came back to my chair in the living room to watch the boys outside and enjoy them for just a bit more before I started my Sunday chores.

 

I didn't see them in the front yard anymore. I thought to myself, they must have gone to the back yard. So I got up and went to the kitchen window and I looked outback. It was so quite.
Where were the those children?

I went back to the front window and looked out again.

That's strange, I thought, where the heck did they run off to so quickly, I was away from the window for two minutes literally.
I felt the boys were too young to leave the front yard without me and they knew to stay where I could see them at all times.
But where were they?

I threw my slippers on and went out front. I yelled to the boys, but they were no where in sight. My heart started pounding! GOD where are the children I thought? I walked around the house, I yelled for them again. Nothing!

Then as I stood there in the back yard fear gripped my heart!

Had they been taken on that bus? No way, how could something like that happen? No! That's crazy thinking. My boys would never get on a strange bus! I kept shouting for the boys. I walked to the end of the street, I didn't see them anywhere. I called for them over and over. I was really getting fearful and somewhat angry! With each shout, my mind ran faster and faster. My heart started pounding with fear! Would my boys have gotten on that bus? What bus driver would take two small boys without their parents consent?
Where the heck are they? GOD help me!

Why would a church bus take my boy's without a signed permission slip, this kept running through my mind? What kind of bus driver would let strange children get on his bus? What was the name on that bus again I thought to myself?

With that I ran into the house and grabbed my car keys, and off I went! I was so mad thinking how could someone pick up children they don't even know? Why would they do something like that?      I drove so fast I was shocked I wasn't pulled over by the police! I had tears in my eyes hoping I was going to the right place?

I was at the church in five minutes. I parked the car out front and ran up the stairs of the huge church and into the main hallway!

With that I yelled very loud in the hall, Jason & Joshua are you here?

I yelled again loudly as I headed for the first closed door. My anger was off the charts? I was so afraid something had happened to them! Please GOD let them be here!

A sweet beautiful blonde haired woman came out into the hall just then and said, May I help you? What's going on?

I said I think someone driving one of your buses took my children! My two young boys! Are they here?

She asked me how old they were, what they were wearing, and what area of town I lived in.

I told her they were 5 and 3 years old and we lived in the central city.

She smiled and said, "Oh yes, No problem, My name is Joann, I remember them, I drive that bus".  I did pick up 2 small boy's who were standing at the bus stop. They're so adorable, What are their names she said ,while she was still smiling at me?
 

What! What! I was so mad, I said to her, "How could you"?

What kind of an idiot are you? I was furious with this smiling woman, I yelled at her again and said, "why would you pick up two small boys you don't even know, that don't belong to your church, and ride them away from their home"? How could you do such a thing with such young boys? I told her, I was worried out of my mind! What's wrong with you lady? What kind of a church are you running here? I only left the window for two minutes to get coffee and they were gone! You should be ashamed of yourself! I was sick with worry! We have our own church! They weren't standing at your bus stop, they were just out of their front yard!

Thank GOD I saw your bus and knew where they may have been taken!

"Get my children for me NOW", I demanded in a very strong tone!
Other doors in the hallway were opening as others heard me yelling at this terrible woman! I found I had made a scene. Oh great I thought to myself! All I could think about was getting out of that church!

 

With that, the woman went and got Jason and Joshua and I grabbed their little hands and marched them off to the car.
The poor woman looked shocked!

It was then I realized I was out in public in my old brown nightgown and slippers! Oh my word!
No bra, no slip and for heavens sake you could almost see through this old nighty! E-Gad!

I hadn't even combed my long hair yet this morning, It must look like a rats nest! Oh my word, I thought to myself as I was walking towards the car, I must look and sound like a full blown witch to that lady!

I didn't care! I found my babies, that's all I cared about!

 

All the way home I reprimanded the boys for doing such a terrible  thing leaving home like that!

I explained how dangerous it was for them to get in a car or bus with strangers without Mommy and Daddy's permission.

I was crying with tears of joy that I had found my boys safe, but I was still so mad and afraid for them!
I thought I might send a letter to the Head of that church and report that crazy lady.

 

Once home we all settled into our normal routines after many hugs and kisses and my cold cup of coffee and enjoyed the rest of the day.

 

Monday finally came and off I went into the working world for my new career interview. I was so excited. I spent all morning getting ready for the big day. I wanted to have my best foot forward and look amazing for this job interview. I was so excited!

Off I went.

I entered the office and signed in and took my seat. I waited patiently for my turn. There were almost twelve other women waiting for an interview along with me. I was feeling as if my balloon of hope was deflating. How could I stand a chance getting this job with so many others also applying.

I thought to myself, well, it's in the LORDS hands. I'm not going to worry about it.

 

My name was finally called and I was escorted down a long hall and into a room to have another seat. I was told Mrs. Cheneville would be right in to speak with me.

So, I waited a bit more and then the door opened.

To my surprise there in front of me was that woman!

The woman whom I had screamed at in the hallway of the church! The woman who picked up my children! Who I had called an idiot!OH MY WORD!

She is the one doing my interview!
Oh No!

Oh, I'm never going to get this job, Oh, I wish I could run! This is a total disaster I thought to myself!

With that, she smiled so sweetly at me and said, Oh dear, you're the woman from yesterday with the boys from the bus!
Oh my!

"Yes", I said as I looked down towards the floor. I said in a very soft humbled voice , I'm so sorry for acting as I did, I was just so afraid!

She smiled and said, I was up all night feeling so bad about what I had done to that woman in the brown nightie. She said I thought your boys were a part of the church. They ran up to the bus as soon as it stopped and jumped on in and took a seat as if they always had done it. She said she hadn't had my area route for a while and wasn't sure who belonged on the bus or not actually. Then she apologized profusely to me.
 

We both laughed. She said, I came to see your point however. We will be much  more careful in the future with who we pick up for church!

With that she said, Oh and by the way, You're hired!

She said my resume was exactly what she had been looking for and since our encounter at the church she was sure I was the person for the job. She said, I know you'll do the right thing in any circumstance!

 

I spent the next 18 years in this career and rose to the top of my field. She became my closest and dearest friend even to this day.

You just can't make this stuff up.

Truth is always stranger than fiction!