Story 7

When John-John and I began our journey with Precious Lamb in October 2019, I was a single mom starting my first semester at LBCC while living in a homeless shelter. John-John was barely 18 months old and had just begun to walk three months prior. He didn’t talk much, and as a recovering addict, I blamed myself for his developmental delays. I questioned my ability to get him on track and my ability as a parent to make wise choices for my precious little boy.

John-John had been in foster care for the first eight months of his life because of my choices, and I wondered if that had played a part in his hitting milestones so late. We had an occupational therapist who came weekly to help with John-John’s development, but I wasn’t sure his needs were being fully met. His evaluations continued to show he was falling behind other children his age in areas ranging from cognitive to motor development. Up until this point, I could only hold on to the verse that had been given to me as my journey with Christ and recovery from my old life began—words I held in my heart as God’s promise: “For I know the plans I have for you…plans for good and not disaster, to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

That first day I walked into Precious Lamb with my son, I felt a wave of relief and hope. I can’t explain it, but I felt as if God had led us to a place where John-John could be nurtured and grow. When I reflect back to the first day of school for John-John, I remember how nervous I was for him and how readily he took to being in the classroom for the first time. I was actually a little disappointed when he didn’t cling to me as I had expected; instead, he just walked in and started playing with the teachers and children as if he had been there all along. I went to school that day feeling secure that my baby was happy and being cared for in a place that understood our needs and did not judge me because of my past.

That weekend, I was taking John-John to our room at the shelter after his bath when he started to sing, “A-B-C-D, A-B-C-D,” over and over. He was only in school for five days, and he was already starting to sing his ABCs! This little boy, who barely said anything beyond simple words like “Ma-ma,” was starting to sing his alphabet. My amazement did not stop there. As the weeks went by, John-John began to talk more and more, using sentences and not just phrases. His coordination and motor skills improved, and his occupational therapist was impressed with his progress. That Thanksgiving, John-John was singing “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jingle Bells.” It was all so wonderful—this blessing of a school. Then COVID-19 shut everything down.

During the first day of the lockdown, I was concerned. How was I going to manage online classes with an almost 2-year-old locked in the shelter with me? How was I going to find diapers and wipes when everything was out of stock? What about John’s social and emotional development? Would he regress? Would I be able to handle this and pass my classes? It was at this moment that I got a call on my phone from Ms. T, John-John’s favorite teacher. She explained that she had been assigned to our family as a point of contact by the school and that she had permission to take John-John for a day or two each week to watch him and give me time to study and do schoolwork. She also offered to assist with various items we needed, from diapers and wipes to toilet paper and food. I got on my knees and thanked God for hearing me and answering my prayers so quickly.

In his first five months at this school, Precious Lamb showed me what a community does. It takes in our children and comes alongside us as parents and guardians, walking with us through dark days. Even when the doors of the school were closed and locked, the arms of Jesus never were. For my family, Precious Lamb is the open arms of Jesus. During the last three years, with the help of the scholarship program and the guidance of Precious Lamb’s supportive staff, John and I have moved from the shelter to our own place. We have a sense of community and support that we know will always be there. I am moving from community college to university with straight A’s!

For us, Precious Lamb is the village in the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I could not imagine life without Ms. T, Miss Debby, Miss Keely, Miss Cricket, and Miss Alix. Everyone at this school has shown me what it looks like to be the arms and feet of Jesus, and I cannot thank them enough. Even when John-John graduates from the school, we will always have Precious Lamb supporting us as alumni family.

~ Sarah Floyd