Two months after Catherine’s birth, I started tutoring for the Brock family. One day, I told Debbie and her children that I had cut Catherine’s nails for the first time. Debbie shared that sometimes it is easier to cut a child’s nails when he is sleeping.

A few days ago, Patrick got a huge sliver embedded deeply in his finger. The sliver really hurt him, but he refused to let anyone take it out. Knowing that taking my son to the doctor to get it out would most likely meet with even stronger resistance (yes, our pediatrician has taken a sliver out of Patrick before), I advised my husband that we would need to try Debbie’s advice in a different situation.

Bedtime came and Patrick fell asleep. My husband got a needle (no part of the sliver was exposed) and tweezers, and started trying to remove the sliver. In no time, it was out. The next morming, when Patrick woke up, he looked at his finger. Upon not seeing the sliver, he asked, “Where’s my sliver?” I responded, “Daddy took it out.” Patrick responded, completely crestfallen, “It’s gone.”

Yes, my dear child, it’s gone. Thank you God for putting Debbie in our life.