A flash fiction story inspired by Street Store, a ministry initiative whereby multiple local churches in various cities partner with each other to serve precious people within their most vulnerable communities. All visitors to Street Store are offered a dignifying experience of being ministered to by multiple teams of dedicated individuals who pull out all the stops to make each one of their guests feel special at every ministry station. First of all, visitors are treated with a meal while sitting down in a restaurant area. From there, they are guided through the shopping area where they can select clothing items for themselves. Finally, each visitor has the opportunity to be ministered to in a one-to-one setting in a special prayer area.

“How far along is your pregnancy?” The teenager is caught off guard by the tangible compassion in the older woman’s gentle voice. How does she even know? Nobody knows… “I don’t know, but please don’t tell my mom?!” The vulnerable teenager breaks down and the older woman takes her into a loving motherly embrace. Minutes later another older woman enters the room and walks straight towards the embracing duo. When the two older women make eye contact with each other, no words are necessary to reveal the true heartache of tragic desperation. It is a silent confirmation of a mother’s devastating suspicion.

Penny takes a seat next to her sobbing daughter being comforted by a kind-hearted woman with welled up tears in her own eyes. Penny’s baby girl, perfect princess Pippa is barely 13 years old. And she is pregnant! The Good Lord knows, Penny has tried everything to keep her kids on the straight and narrow. She has been serving the Lord since she was just a little girl, but taking her family to church every Sunday has not spared her from the abuse of two deadbeat ex-husbands, an unemployed live-in brother and her youngest son, a 17-year-old wayward gangster.

Twelve years ago, Penny’s firstborn son, Joe, got a neighbour girl pregnant before he finally manned up and assumed the responsibility of getting a decent job. But it is on an oil rig thousands of kilometres away from home. Although Joe faithfully sends home money every month, it was Penny who had to single-handedly rescue her grandson from his birthmother when she started pimping him out well before his tenth birthday. And now Penny is raising him as her own. She is very well acquainted with sorrow, and the grief from the recent loss of beloved daughter Leah seven months ago, still lies painfully shallow in her soul. Leah’s badly decomposed, lifeless body was discovered in an industrial trash can multiple days after she died of an overdose. She lost her battle against substance addiction.

“Oh Lord, please hear me, please help me? Please show me where to go from here? I cannot do this anymore!” The silent scream prayer of a beyond-desperate matriarch.

Penny is profoundly grateful for having had the opportunity to select a bag full of warm winter clothes, but she is overwhelmed by the thought of entering the next chapter in her life book of suffering. Finally, the kind woman takes Penny and Pippa to a quiet little corner in the prayer tent where, in a soft and loving tone, she prays for them with heartfelt compassion. Her words are like a soothing balm to Penny’s tender heart, and by the time they greet each other at the exit gate, Penny’s heart feels slightly lighter. GOODBYE DEAR PENNY & PIPPA, IT WAS MY ABSOLUTE AWESOME PRIVILEGE TO SERVE YOU. THANK YOU! I BID YOU FAREWELL NOW AS I WILL STAY BEHIND, BUT JESUS IS WITH YOU ALWAYS AND HE IS GOING HOME WITH YOU. TAKE CARE! Mother and daughter walk away in a loving embrace. In Penny’s hand is a business card of a health care professional who has committed to joining them for the next part of their journey. In Pippa’s hand is a gift bag with a teeny tiny white babygrow, a pair of yellow knitted booties and a card with a simple message. I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME, YOU ARE MINE!