The Lady with Six Kids

You never know what an impression you might make by just one kind gesture.

In the earlier years of our marriage, we often invited company for dinner. One week, when we were trying to decide who to have for Sunday dinner, we thought about inviting some of our close friends. Instead, we chose Sandy,* a single mom with six kids, four of them boys. Sandy brought her children to church, but keeping track of them was like chasing a litter of puppies. They couldn’t sit still; they talked out loud during the sermon, and found various reasons to visit the bathroom frequently.

Sandy tried to keep them in line, but she was more interested in absorbing every word of the pastor’s sermon. She had gone through some tough times, being divorced from a man who paid little attention to his children and often missed his child support payments. Sandy was also struggling emotionally, and was on medication for depression. In addition to all this, her oldest daughter, Laura,* age sixteen, was pregnant and had dropped out of school.

We could only imagine how difficult it must be for Sandy raising these six children on her own. I had hosted a baby shower for Laura. A few of the church ladies opted not to come, saying it would condone teen pregnancy. But I  felt it was a way to show love to a family in need.

When we invited Sandy for dinner, she was amazed. “You want all six of my kids to come too?”

“We sure do – the whole family.”

When the day arrived, I prepared a big “Sunday dinner” – roast beef, mashed potatoes, apple pie – the works.

“Why shouldn’t it be as nice as any dinner for our friends!” I said to Kelvin as I pulled plates out of the cupboard.

“Aren’t you going to use the good dishes?” he asked.

“Kelvin, we’re talking six kids. Who knows what their table manners are like?”

“But we want this to be special. I don’t think they’re going to break any plates, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

So I set out our best china.

Sandy and her children arrived in their usual hubbub. They were neatly dressed and hungry. A smile lit up Sandy’s face when she saw the candles and china. The children behaved surprisingly well during dinner. There were a few kicks under the table, followed by stern warnings from Mom. The boys sampled the vegetables, devoured all the mashed potatoes, and had seconds on pie. Overall, the meal was a success.

What really touched our hearts was the comment Sandy made on her way out the front door: “No one has ever invited us all to dinner. Thank you so much.”

* (names have been changed).