She couldn’t help but smile as she laid her head down on the cool, crisp, new pillow. As she pulled the fresh sheets and handmade quilt up to her chin, her thoughts wandered to the stranger who had made the beautiful quilt. It was bright and cheerful and made with all the colors she loved. She was told a woman in the United States had made it for her and that it had been prayed over by many people.
She felt the soft mattress underneath her- a new mattress that was
just for her. There were no rips in this mattress. It was unstained and the foam was clean and intact. She thought back to the days where she shared a bed with three other girls and the foam from the bed had been torn out to plug up cracks in the wall or under the door to keep out water from the rain.
She reached down and tried to touch the floor from her spot on the bed. Instead, she only felt the empty space between the bed frame and the floor. Since leaving the orphanage, she had spent most of her nights sleeping on a mat or sheet on the floor of friends’ homes. She remembered the feeling of the cold floor seeping through to her bones. She remembered waking up achy from trying to remain small on her bed so she would not be an inconvenience to those that took her in. She remembered the itchy bug bites she would get from sleeping on the ground. This made her shiver. But, then, she remembered. That was her yesterday. This was her today.
A warm bed that was all her own. A roof over her head and a clean, dry floor under her feet. She was wanted, she was loved. She said a prayer to God. She thanked Him for his provision and prayed for the other orphans who still did not have a bed to call their own. Then, she pulled up the covers, fluffed her pillow, closed her eyes, and dreamed of her tomorrow.
