Jacob Worried: “How Would We Survive?”

Six-year-old Jacob was worried.

The youngest of five kids, Jacob worried because his mom worried. She and Jacob’s father had been fighting a lot, and though she was six months pregnant, she rounded up the kids and moved away. Jacob deeply felt his mom’s anxieties about feeding her children and paying the bills.

Jacob would hide his tears, because he didn’t want his mom to worry anymore. He even began to wonder, Is all this my fault?

One day, when Jacob and his sisters were playing outside, a woman from The Salvation Army came to visit. She told Jacob’s mom that they could help her with many needs.

Jacob’s mom seemed really relieved. So did Jacob.

Jacob never had to go hungry. When the food ran out, The Salvation Army provided more. When winter came, they provided the whole family with warm coats. When his mom couldn’t afford to heat the house, The Army helped with the gas bill.

Though he wasn’t old enough to understand everything, Jacob knew this much: That nice lady from The Salvation Army helped his family when they needed it most. And he was thankful for that. Especially for his mom.

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