Last Monday, Mother's Day weekend, I had the pleasure of traveling to see my Mom. I packed a nice lunch for us, packed the car with our 2 pups (her fur grandkids) and got on down the road.

The trip takes about 3 hours. Traffic was lighter than on the weekends and the weather was finally sunny and summer warm after weeks of cold and rainy.

We arrived at her residence facility and grabbed lunch, her card and gift and the pups and went into see her.

For the first time, a person at the desk stopped us. 

"Wait! Are you planning on bringing those dogs into visit your mom?"

Yes... that's why they are here. Why?

"They need their names in my book with their current vax on file from your vet."

What??? They are vaxxed but I have no vet record with me. And their licenses are current.

"Too bad. They cannot enter the facility."

My head almost blew up. Steve took the dogs back to the car, but they wouldn't be able to stay in there because without A/C the temps would get to over 100 degrees in 10 minutes. Steve could not sit there for a while so I could see mom for the first time since Valentines day. And we certainly could not eat together. 

So I saw mom, told her the problem and we both were upset. BUT....

I had prayed for a lovely visit that would make mom happy and for safe travels.

Guess what?

As I had wheelchaired my way to her room, I was pulling along a little cart with all the items we had brought. but for the first time, the wheels kept turning inward causing the little wagon to stop.

A nice worker there named Barbara came and asked if she could walk it to Mom's apartment for me. SURE! I said and then told her why we couldn't stay.

She got to the room with me as I was explaining to mom --- and mom broke down in a tirade of tears and frustration. Mom has had many little strokes and she gets upset easily. And her language comes with much difficulty. 

Barbara asked if she could help. She told us to stay put and she would be back in a few minutes after she talked to some people.

As we waited, I tried to calm a nearly hysterical mom and her boyfriend who was joining us. 

Barbara returns with my husband and the dogs in tow!

Will they bite? No.

Will they bark? Not usually.

Will they behave? Most the time.

Ok -- you cannot eat in the residence garden. They need records  and we cannot expose the residents. BUT ----- (things were getting better)

She said: I will take you to a more private garden patio where I can watch you from my office and I took responsibility for you all. 

We exit a door into a lovely landscaped patio completely enclosed with the building, on a concrete area perfect for my wheelchair, and filled with little sparrows going in and out of the 6 birdhouses in the garden. Cheep Cheep from a number of nestlings and a cool breeze in the shade at a corner table with an umbrella from a summer heat sun completed our setup.

Mom, still crying, is seated and we all unpack lunch to the music of birds. No other residents, no traffic noise, no heat --- a private lunch with the pups at her feet and all together. 

It was AWESOME. Mom and her boyfriend began to laugh at the stories I save to entertain her. Everyone sits easy in the big chairs. The breeze chases away bugs and bees. Birds singing. 

What started as a catastrophe of a 6 hour return trip with no visitation turned out to be a private meal in a lovely setting and no drama.

God is good all the time. Even when things start poorly with an impossible solution, He can send a Barbara to open doors we had no access to -- and that can turn everything around -- even better than planned.

With God, nothing is impossible. Nothing.

Maranatha, y'all.

He's coming back ---- so trust God and be a Barbara.