text: ‘We did it. We went to the advertised ‘free, fresh, hot meals’ drive-thru at a local church. She said, ‘I’m so glad you came!”: Single mom recounts ‘act of service’ from local church – Love What Matters
  Menu
  Categories
  Family
  Love
  Animals
  Children
  Health
  Shop
  Merch
  Book
  About
  Advertise
  Submissions
  Categories
  Family
  Love
  Animals
  Children
  Health
  Shop
  Merch
  Book
  About
  Advertise
  Submissions
  search
  cancel
  ☰
  Submit
  ☰
  ‘We did it. We went to the advertised ‘free, fresh, hot meals’ drive-thru at a local church. She said, ‘I’m so glad you came!”: Single mom recounts ‘act of service’ from local church
  465 Shares Tweet Email
  Edited By LJ Herman
  More Stories like:
  🤧 🤩 💕
  “It all started with an advertisement for drive-thru hot fresh meal. Free. Courtesy of a local church.
  The kids and I were already on this side of town because I drive nearly 40 minutes to take my son, who has autism and learning disabilities, to a therapeutic tutor every day for an hour. My other three kids and I wait until he finishes his session and then we all make the 40 minute trek back home, often getting back late in the evening—tired, hungry—and me still having hours of work to do leftover from the day and additional work preparing for tomorrow.
  Courtesy of Lesley Butterfield
  Before I go on, here are some rhetorical questions which may help put into context the purpose of this post. In your family and home:
  Who packs the lunches? Who makes sure there is a gallon of unexpired milk in the fridge? Who makes sure the homework folders are stocked with completed homework? Who makes sure every child’s mask is clean? Who does flash cards for sight words and times tables? Who hovers in the bathroom to make sure teeth are brushed? Who cleans up dinner? Who makes dinner? Who sets the table? Who does the dishes? Who does bedtime? Who checks for clean undies? Who gets up with children in the middle of the night after a night terror?
  Everything that I do, as a parent and as a mother, is for my children. This is the MOST important role I have and one I love and cherish. Working long hours to pay for therapy on my own because my co-parent refuses to contribute is never a second thought for me, because my son needs it. Sacrificing hours for my children to be able to have what they need whenever they need it is something I happily do. This goes with also saying as a single parent, I do not get relief from a husband or partner to pick up slack when I fail at meeting the demands of parenthood (because I do fail).
  Courtesy of Lesley Butterfield
  When I think of things I am responsible for, it is easy to get overwhelmed. I mean: the homework, flashcards, brushing teeth, bathing, packing lunches, packing snacks, signing permission slips, checking homework folders, stocking homework folders, laundry, masks, laundering other clothes, planning dinner, making dinner, cleaning up dinner, setting the table, doing the dishes, driving to therapy, paying for therapy, planning enriching activities, signing up for extracurriculars, getting the kids where they need to be at all times—AND the list goes on.
  Even just having someone to tag team knocking out a few of these things would be helpful each day. But yeah, there is NO one but me. To do it all. Yes, I absolutely chose this, when considering the alternative. Yes, I would choose it again a million times over. Yes, I know this is the life of being a single mom. And here’s a big truth bomb: It’s hard, y’all. Like, THE HARDEST thing. You see, today was especially tiring: haircuts for a a child who literally feels pain when his hair is being cut, a change in typical routine (also the kiss of death for us autism moms), and balancing online homework (how do you even do this) with regular in-person school.
  So, between running to therapy, tutoring, haircuts, and back to therapy, while coaxing kids to behave and sit down and not look at each other the wrong way, I was just at the wits’ end of exhaustion. So we did it. We went to the advertised ‘free, fresh, hot meals’ drive-thru at a local church. A kind lady wearing a mask came up a gave me a little mint glued on a note card with a motivational message about ‘encourage-mint.’ She asked how many meals we needed, and I stated there were five of us. She said, ‘I’m so glad you came!’ like she knew me, then added, ‘These meals aren’t much, but they are warm and I hope it helps.’
  Courtesy of Lesley Butterfield
  Five individual hot spaghetti dinners were brought out to five hungry humans in my minivan. Truthfully, I cannot remember the last time someone made me a hot meal. This is not a pity party, but more—an honest, heartfelt acknowledgement of the beautiful mercy which comes from accepting the most needed act of service exactly when it is needed, and how powerful this can truly be.
  Church workers wearing matching shirts advertising God waved me through the drive-thru and smiled as we left. Shame I did not feel. Mercy…yes. Mercy, love, gratitude. Pure, good, and beautiful. I couldn’t even make it out of the parking lot. I pulled into an empty stall—tears suddenly streaming down my face, while the aroma of homemade spaghetti sauce filled the car. One less thing off my list of unending responsibilities tonight. And it was a little, huge thing. So much it made me realize; God is in the drive-thru.”
  Courtesy of Lesley Butterfield
  This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Lesley Butterfield. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
  Read more about acts of kindness:
  ‘I looked down with tears in my eyes as I absorbed my son’s kicks. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. ‘How can I help?’: Special needs mom details ‘unbelievable’ act of kindness
  ‘I’m sorry to intrude. I don’t know you, but I saw you crying and I wanted to buy you flowers.’ Tears streamed down her cheeks.’: Stranger shows ‘priceless’ act of kindness, ‘We will never forget’
  ‘Last week, Arthur stopped by with a gift. Each time he delivers a package, Hudson lights up, runs to our front windows, and can’t wait to say, ‘Hi!’: Woman shares delivery man’s act of kindness
  Help us show compassion is contagious. SHARE this beautiful story on Facebook with friends and family.
  465 Shares Tweet Email
  act of kindness, act of service, always be kind, autism, autism mom, Autism special needs, be love, beautiful, cherish every moment, church, Compassion, compassion is contagious, coparenting, emotional, faith, family, God, hope, jesus, jesus christ, Kindness, love, Love What Matters, Mom Life, mom of many, mother, motherhood, parenting, random act of kindness, religion, single mom, special needs, special needs mom, spread love, strength
  ‘What will everyone think of me?’ I was a naïve 16-year-old, browsing ‘symptoms of pregnancy.’ I knew the only option was adoption.’: Teen mom details pregnancy and adoption journey, reunites with daughter 20 years later ‘He probably needed a break. I took her from him and sent him to go get some time and space alone. I took over the parenting responsibilities.’: Mom of seven details ‘parental regret,’ urges ‘be honest about it’	
  Trending Stories:
  ‘I’m gay.’ I felt empty and shattered—I had never before connected with anyone like this.’: Woman shares beautiful mixed-orientation marriage
  “If he was choosing to spend time with me, then why would his sexual orientation matter? When we saw each other again, it was like sparks. It felt like the entire universe was aligning.”
  Edited By Sonia Beltz
  😁 🤩 💕
  Podcast
  ‘My son’s friend came over and asked, ‘Why is your stuff in a closet?’ My heart shattered. ‘I don’t have a bedroom.’: Single mom of 3 abandoned during pregnancy finally buys ‘forever home’
  “There are seasons of life that will break you. Where you will be on the floor in the dark, sobbing and begging for the strength to just make it through the night. For the strength to see the next day. March on. Because every now and again, there will be moments like Friday, November 12th.”
  Edited By Sophia San Filippo
  😪 💕
  ‘No, no, don’t sit next to him darling, move away.’ This sentence cuts like a knife. It shatters my heart into a million pieces.’: Mom of autistic son wishes no other parent to ‘experience this ignorance’
  “We were just waiting to see Santa. I will never forget that room, it was so beautiful. All done up with snowmen, lovely lights, Christmas Music playing. It was sensory heaven for my little boy. I will never forget that woman. I will never forget the way she looked at my little boy. The way she stared. The look of disgust on her face.”
  Edited By LJ Herman
  ‘Do you have something to tell us?’ I was 15, pregnant. I wasn’t allowed to hold her.’: Birth mom has unexpected reunion with daughter’s adoptive family in Disney World, ‘I was shocked’
  “Adoption was the choice that was made for me. There would be no other discussion. Everything was out of my control. I felt so hopeless. 12 years later I was browsing social media and saw a post from my daughter’s adoptive mom. They were going on a family vacation to ORLANDO, you know, the same place I was going. I just sat there, looking at my screen, couldn’t even blink my eyes. I was shocked. My heart was beating out of my chest. I hadn’t seen these faces since I was 16, leaving the hospital.”
  Edited By Eliza Murphy
  🤧 🤩 💕
  ‘The labor staff kept asking, ‘Is Daddy on the way?’ I was carrying a dead man’s baby. It hit me like a ton of bricks.’: Woman gives birth after husband’s passing, ‘Tomorrow isn’t promised’
  “We found out we were expecting. Kyle was over the moon! ‘We got this,’ he reassured me. We were 6 weeks along. A few days later, I received one of the worst texts of my life: ‘Kyle is gone.’ I didn’t believe it. I was in major DENIAL. I pretended like nothing happened for a few hours until I decided to call the hospital for confirmation. I was carrying a dead man’s baby.”