He LOVES This Place!

By Debi Boerckel
      Office Manager

I believe that you can tell a lot about places and people if you watch children and observe their reactions to those places and people.  For instance, I have seen children, toddlers even, nearly jump for joy when they walk into a McDonalds®, and NOT because of the fries!!  Part of that excitement is probably tied to the Happy Meal® toy that will greet them, but they are also crazy excited about playing in the PlayPlace®!  It is a “happy place” for them – a place where they can run, jump, slide, laugh…be a child…and they LOVE it!!!

Until the other day, I never thought of Care Net’s office  as a “happy place” for a child.  One of our long-time clients stopped by to donate some things.  That in itself is a wonderful thing – so many of our clients give back to help other clients.  She has been a client through her pregnancy, delivery, and now with a very rambunctious little guy who literally runs EVERYWHERE!  The staff knows this client well, so when she pulled up with donations and her little guy in tow, we offered to help her.

As soon as his little feet hit the floor in our Waiting Room, he was off like a shot!  He ran the length of the room to the door leading to the offices.  WOOSH!  Through the door and down the hall!  WOOSH!  Full speed into the Counseling Room, which had no lights on, and up onto the couch where he normally sits when his Mommy comes for an appointment!  His beautiful Mommy was trying to chase after him with her arms full while the rest of us looked at him with wide-eyed wonder!  She said, “He LOVES this place!”

Why?  Why was he so happy to be here?  There’s no “PlayPlace®”, no Happy Meal® toy, no lollipop or sticker when he’s ready to go home…what was it that caused his little spirit so much joy?

Love.

We love him and his Mommy with the love of Christ.  They are both truly loveable people, but what I’m talking about is beyond human love.  It’s soul love.  It’s Holy Spirit love that goes deeper, reaches farther, holds tighter than any human love can.  To this little guy, Care Net IS his happy place!  Care Net is also his Mommy’s happy place!  Children are tuned in to their parents’ moods and feelings, so we know that if that were not true, he would not find so much joy in being here.

We ended the visit that day with a lot of smiles, laughter, and hugs.  They went home, and I walked back into my office thanking God for allowing me to see Care Net through the eyes of one of His precious little children.  Thank you Lord, that Your place called Care Net, is a happy place for so many.