Charlie & the pink chair ~ Part 1
This photograph is of Charlie, her amazing sister Penny, and their mom and dad, Bert and Meaghan. Every time I look at it, I am reminded of the incredible journey that brought our families together.
I first met Bert and Meaghan in an elevator.
They were heading back up to Apartment 206 at Hattie’s House. I had never met them in person before, though Meaghan and I had spoken on the phone several times. Meaghan was preparing to give birth to their second daughter, Charlie. Doctors already knew that immediately after birth Charlie would need emergency heart surgery.
As the elevator doors opened, I noticed the yellow hospital name badges they were wearing. One thing led to another, and we quickly realized who each other were. They had just come back from the hospital, and I was heading to another one of our units to continue preparing an apartment for a new family.
We hugged and shook hands, and in that moment something special began.
At the time, I was putting together our third Hattie’s House apartment in Sacramento. During COVID, many families who normally would have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House were losing access because shared living spaces had become limited. Our apartments offered something unique — a private place where a family could live together during treatment.
What amazed me was what happened next.
Even in the middle of the uncertainty they were facing, Bert and Meaghan came and helped me set up the apartment. Bert even hung a large tapestry in the bedroom that is still there today. In the midst of their own storm, they served and loved others.
Those few days before Charlie’s birth built a unique friendship between our families.
Soon after, I headed back home to San Diego. Not long after that, Charlie was born — beautiful and alive — but immediately in need of major heart surgery.
Over the weeks that followed, Charlie endured three heart surgeries before she was able to leave the hospital and stay at Hattie’s House to recover. Even after returning home, the journey continued with more visits and additional procedures.
But through every step of that road, what stood out most was the faith of Meaghan and Bert.
There were many nights Meaghan would call when things felt overwhelming. We would pray together. We would bring Charlie before the Lord and ask for His mercy, His healing, and His peace.
Psalm 34:17 reminds us,
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.”
Again and again we experienced the comfort of that promise.
What was also beautiful was watching how they loved Penny through all of it. They intentionally included her in Charlie’s life and in the journey their family was walking together. Even with the uncertainty and the fear, their home was filled with love.
Proverbs 3:5–6 became a quiet anthem for their story:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
They lived that.
And today, when I look at these pictures, I see something remarkable.
Charlie is an amazing young girl. Yes, she has endured more surgeries along the way, but she is truly a gift. God has woven together a beautiful story through her life. When I think of her, I often think of the courage of Esther and the faithfulness of Naomi. There is something special about the way God’s hand rests on her life.
Psalm 139:13–14 says,
“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Charlie is a living reminder of that truth.
I look forward to the day I attend her high school graduation. I look forward to seeing her grow as a young woman. And I am deeply grateful for the way God intertwined the lives of our families.
Thank you, Lord, for orchestrating this story.
You sit on the throne above it all.
“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”
Psalm 103:19
And through every valley and every victory, Your faithfulness remains