Give Lisa the break that she really deserves

When I was praying for Lisa to get a break, this isn’t what I meant.

My neighbor, Lisa Callens, is a talented chef and hospitality professional, mom of three young adult children, full-time caretaker for her mother who has dementia, and recently became a widow after her husband passed away suddenly. Because her husband had a preexisting health condition, he didn’t have life insurance. So Lisa, being the superwoman that she is, has been working tirelessly to take care of her mom, be there for her kids who lost their dad and stabilize her financial situation. Her determination, resourcefulness and most of all, her generosity have been on display throughout. In spite of the challenges, she’s been positive and hopeful.

So this is where we all come in. On Christmas morning, after hearing a fracas in the woods, Lisa was desperate to find her cat who had not returned since the evening before. She trudged into the woods and when attempting to get back over the fence, landed wrong and fractured her tibia. And to top it off, never did find the kitty!

She will be having surgery on 12/30 and likely will be unable to bear weight and do her normal demanding tasks for at least 12 weeks. She will have a little help for the first week after surgery, but after that will have to hire outside full time caretaker(s) for during the day while her daughter is at work. And being unable to work herself, she will need help with covering basic expenses and on top of that, likely medical expenses as well, since she is self-employed.

Right now, Lisa needs to focus on healing and her family needs to know that they have support as they navigate this unexpected additional burden on an already struggling and heartbroken family. If you are receiving this request, please find it in your heart to help out this kind and deserving woman and her family. Lisa is an extraordinary example of hospitality, as she will not let anyone, including a stranger, go unfed or without a place to find shelter. It’s time to bless her in this time of need.