In May 2008 I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to write a letter to my brother. I felt the Lord wanted me to write a letter about a daughter he fathered and lost touch with 11 years prior. I felt like I was supposed to talk to him about trying to find his daughter and letting her know she has more family out there who love her. This was not a subject my brother discussed openly and I did not want to write any such letter. I felt like it was bad timing since he was going through a divorce. I, myself, was preparing and studying for a final exam and I didn’t want to deal with any added stress this letter might bring. The Holy Spirit, however, would not leave me alone. I finally wrote the letter on May 9, 2008.
The letter did not bring the desired results but I felt I had done my part and the rest was between God and my brother. Shortly after sending the letter I decided to do a Facebook search for her. I carefully typed in her first and last name and hit the search button. It brought up several pages of womenand girls with the same name from all over the world but none of them were local and I knew none of them were her. This niece of mine had been strongly impressed upon my mind and heart since the day I met her.
I had last seen my niece when she was three years old. My brother had brought her over to my place. I was throwing a 1-year birthday party for my son and I had invited all sorts of family to come over and celebrate his first year in my back yard. She had just recently lost her mom in a car accident and I was feeling so badly for her. She was one of five siblings and now they were going into the custody of their aunt and uncle. Little did I know that it would be the last day I would see her at my place. Shortly after her mother’s funeral my brother and then I were asked to stop calling and leave the family alone. First my niece loses her mother and now her father too. I loved this little girl so much; it broke my heart. I decided to do the only thing I could do, I would pray for her always and wait until she was old enough for me to contact her.
I thought about my niece and prayed for her all the time. Not a year went by when I did not think about her on her birthday or think about the different milestones she was achieving. When my son started school I always looked for her hoping that maybe she attended the same school. I kept a picture of her sitting on her dad’s lap on my wall unit. Since the last day I saw her until now I have never moved that picture. Every time I dusted that picture I would pray for her. I prayed that God would plant a Christian somewhere in her path to help her and guide her toward Him and His love for her. (Later on I found out this prayer had been answered).
On July 22, 2009, I was playing scrabble on Facebook. Originally that was the only reason I joined Facebook. I had just finished playing my scrabble turns on my games and I felt like the Holy Spirit was prompting me to look her up on Facebook again. I thought, “But I just looked her up awhile ago and a bunch came up but none of them were her” but I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to do so again. I carefully typed in her first and last name and hit the search button. Amazingly, only one girl came up out of that search. I saw that she was local and I just knew in my heart that it was her. My heart jumped for joy. I could not believe my eyes. How could it be that the last time I searched for her so many with her name came up but this time only one? This cannot be explained because it is God and He works in miraculous ways.
I was so unbelievably surprised and excited to see her smiling Facebook picture staring back at me. I ran to my son’s room to tell him the good news. I was so excited he must have thought I was crazy. After twelve long years, it was an answer to my prayers. Once I settled down and I was preparing to send her a message I thought, “What on earth am I going to say to her?” She is not going to remember me and what if I come across as some crazy woman. I didn’t even know where to begin or how to start a conversation with this precious girl I had been praying for and thinking about for 12 years.
I didn’t know what she had been told about her dad, if anything at all. Maybe she had been raised believing someone else was her dad. How would I explain how I know her without revealing who I really was? I had to be careful not to overwhelm or confuse her. I prayed about it first and I typed my message to her. Very shortly after she replied and the questions started. Questions she had every right to be asking since I was a complete stranger to her. She practiced internet safety and didn’t give out any personal information at first. I was immediately proud of her for that.
Our conversations continued and a friendship began. She kept asking about who I was and why I wanted to know her and why I still remembered her after all those years. I told her I knew her dad and I showed her pictures from when she was at my place with my brother. I wanted her to find out her dad’s name from her family and then see that my last name was the same and figure it out for herself. I didn’t feel it was my place to give her any personal information about her dad. I felt like that was the job of her caregivers. Then I found out she had been kicked out of her home on Mother’s Day and it sounded like she had no way of finding out any information about her dad. I decided to help her along in that area and I asked her if she knew her dad’s name. She said a name that was almost my brother’s name only the first letter was different. I asked her if it was possible she might have the first letter wrong since they all pretty much sound the same anyway. Then I asked her to think about why my brother would pick only her up from her place and none of her siblings and take her to a family function on more than one occasion. Then I told her my brother’s name. She wasn’t sure but then she received confirmation from her sister and another one of her aunts. At first she said she didn’t even want to talk to her dad. Then she said she didn’t know what to do. Then she asked me if he would even want to talk to her. It was clear her emotions were all over the place and understandably so.
By August 1st she had confirmed me as a friend on Facebook. Things were moving along very quickly. She informed me that she was feeling so loved and cared for and that is exactly what I had prayed for before I had contacted her. I asked God to pour his love through my fingers, the computer and into my niece. Her spirits were lifted and she no longer felt alone or isolated, she now knew she had a whole other side of her family that loved her and wanted a relationship with her.
My niece had still not told me where she lived. All I knew was that she moved out of the city and lived 5 hours away. One night after one of our nightly conversations I had a dream about her. I dreamt about the name of the town she was located in. When I woke up I went straight to my computer to look it up and see if it was, in fact, 5 hours away. It was not but it was the only large town in that area so I felt like she was near there. My eyes followed the map past the large town and stopped on one particular town. It was like the words were jumping off the page or bolded or something. I knew that this was where she lived. I sent her a message asking if she lived there and she admitted it and asked how on earth I knew. I told her that first God had led me to her on Facebook and now He had led me to her location through a dream.
She told me shortly before I had contacted her on Facebook she had been praying and asking God to help her because she felt so alone, isolated, abandoned and rejected. She believed I was an answer to that prayer. The more I talked with her the more I found out that she did know about Jesus and had been to church and even on a youth mission trip once. She also mentioned she had been baptized. I was elated, another prayer of mine had been answered. Remember earlier I had mentioned that I had prayed for a Christian to be placed in her life to help lead and guide her toward God and His love for her? That prayer was answered through her older brother who started taking her to church. He had been impacted by a Christian woman who had helped him.
I feel that God prompted me, through the Holy Spirit, to write my brother that letter on May 9, 2008, in the hopes of bringing reconciliation between them and our family. That letter was written almost exactly one year before my niece was kicked out of her home. God knew she was going through some tough times and He wanted to send help. When the desired results did not come from that letter God allowed me to find her on Facebook. It is no coincidence that she was the only name that came up in the search this time.
About a week after I started talking with my niece I was walking my dogs and talking to God. I asked Him why I felt such a strong connection with her. He revealed to me that I had connected to her emotionally through my inner little girl. My inner child had experienced the loss of a father first through alcoholism and then through a four year separation. I knew how much it hurt not to have my father emotionally plugged-in in my life to love me, listen to me, to take an interest in my life, to validate me and to help me feel safe and secure. I wanted so badly to save her from that kind of pain. When I realized the connection I told God He was right (as He always is) and I started to cry. As I was crying I walked passed a low bush, just a weed that grows in the field. It was in bloom with light pink flowers. I was already about 10 paces away when I felt like the Holy Spirit was telling me to go back and pick the pink flower. I went back and pulled a flower and continued my walk. I had been carrying a book with me because sometimes I read while I am walking. I took one of the pedals and pressed it in between the pages of the book. Then I realized this flower petal was shaped like a heart. Now I knew why God wanted me to pick that flower, it was His way of saying He loved me. A smile came across my face and I grinned from ear to ear. God had brought restoration for me and now He was doing the same for my niece. If I knew the name of this wild flower I would tell you. I am attaching a scanned image of the flower petal.
God is so good. First He has brought restoration to my own soul through my relationship with Him and now He is bringing restoration for my niece and my family. I am glad I was obedient about writing that letter to my brother. I truly believe my obedience was rewarded. Now that I have found my niece my family is complete. My heart is so full of joy; it overflows with love and thankfulness. Whatever you are going through and whatever circumstances you may be in I want to tell you never give up, never stop praying. If you have invited God into your life and Jesus into your heart He will be working on your behalf. His Word says that He works for the good of those who love him. This story is proof.
The letter did not bring the desired results but I felt I had done my part and the rest was between God and my brother. Shortly after sending the letter I decided to do a Facebook search for her. I carefully typed in her first and last name and hit the search button. It brought up several pages of womenand girls with the same name from all over the world but none of them were local and I knew none of them were her. This niece of mine had been strongly impressed upon my mind and heart since the day I met her.
I had last seen my niece when she was three years old. My brother had brought her over to my place. I was throwing a 1-year birthday party for my son and I had invited all sorts of family to come over and celebrate his first year in my back yard. She had just recently lost her mom in a car accident and I was feeling so badly for her. She was one of five siblings and now they were going into the custody of their aunt and uncle. Little did I know that it would be the last day I would see her at my place. Shortly after her mother’s funeral my brother and then I were asked to stop calling and leave the family alone. First my niece loses her mother and now her father too. I loved this little girl so much; it broke my heart. I decided to do the only thing I could do, I would pray for her always and wait until she was old enough for me to contact her.
I thought about my niece and prayed for her all the time. Not a year went by when I did not think about her on her birthday or think about the different milestones she was achieving. When my son started school I always looked for her hoping that maybe she attended the same school. I kept a picture of her sitting on her dad’s lap on my wall unit. Since the last day I saw her until now I have never moved that picture. Every time I dusted that picture I would pray for her. I prayed that God would plant a Christian somewhere in her path to help her and guide her toward Him and His love for her. (Later on I found out this prayer had been answered).
On July 22, 2009, I was playing scrabble on Facebook. Originally that was the only reason I joined Facebook. I had just finished playing my scrabble turns on my games and I felt like the Holy Spirit was prompting me to look her up on Facebook again. I thought, “But I just looked her up awhile ago and a bunch came up but none of them were her” but I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me to do so again. I carefully typed in her first and last name and hit the search button. Amazingly, only one girl came up out of that search. I saw that she was local and I just knew in my heart that it was her. My heart jumped for joy. I could not believe my eyes. How could it be that the last time I searched for her so many with her name came up but this time only one? This cannot be explained because it is God and He works in miraculous ways.
I was so unbelievably surprised and excited to see her smiling Facebook picture staring back at me. I ran to my son’s room to tell him the good news. I was so excited he must have thought I was crazy. After twelve long years, it was an answer to my prayers. Once I settled down and I was preparing to send her a message I thought, “What on earth am I going to say to her?” She is not going to remember me and what if I come across as some crazy woman. I didn’t even know where to begin or how to start a conversation with this precious girl I had been praying for and thinking about for 12 years.
I didn’t know what she had been told about her dad, if anything at all. Maybe she had been raised believing someone else was her dad. How would I explain how I know her without revealing who I really was? I had to be careful not to overwhelm or confuse her. I prayed about it first and I typed my message to her. Very shortly after she replied and the questions started. Questions she had every right to be asking since I was a complete stranger to her. She practiced internet safety and didn’t give out any personal information at first. I was immediately proud of her for that.
Our conversations continued and a friendship began. She kept asking about who I was and why I wanted to know her and why I still remembered her after all those years. I told her I knew her dad and I showed her pictures from when she was at my place with my brother. I wanted her to find out her dad’s name from her family and then see that my last name was the same and figure it out for herself. I didn’t feel it was my place to give her any personal information about her dad. I felt like that was the job of her caregivers. Then I found out she had been kicked out of her home on Mother’s Day and it sounded like she had no way of finding out any information about her dad. I decided to help her along in that area and I asked her if she knew her dad’s name. She said a name that was almost my brother’s name only the first letter was different. I asked her if it was possible she might have the first letter wrong since they all pretty much sound the same anyway. Then I asked her to think about why my brother would pick only her up from her place and none of her siblings and take her to a family function on more than one occasion. Then I told her my brother’s name. She wasn’t sure but then she received confirmation from her sister and another one of her aunts. At first she said she didn’t even want to talk to her dad. Then she said she didn’t know what to do. Then she asked me if he would even want to talk to her. It was clear her emotions were all over the place and understandably so.
By August 1st she had confirmed me as a friend on Facebook. Things were moving along very quickly. She informed me that she was feeling so loved and cared for and that is exactly what I had prayed for before I had contacted her. I asked God to pour his love through my fingers, the computer and into my niece. Her spirits were lifted and she no longer felt alone or isolated, she now knew she had a whole other side of her family that loved her and wanted a relationship with her.
My niece had still not told me where she lived. All I knew was that she moved out of the city and lived 5 hours away. One night after one of our nightly conversations I had a dream about her. I dreamt about the name of the town she was located in. When I woke up I went straight to my computer to look it up and see if it was, in fact, 5 hours away. It was not but it was the only large town in that area so I felt like she was near there. My eyes followed the map past the large town and stopped on one particular town. It was like the words were jumping off the page or bolded or something. I knew that this was where she lived. I sent her a message asking if she lived there and she admitted it and asked how on earth I knew. I told her that first God had led me to her on Facebook and now He had led me to her location through a dream.
She told me shortly before I had contacted her on Facebook she had been praying and asking God to help her because she felt so alone, isolated, abandoned and rejected. She believed I was an answer to that prayer. The more I talked with her the more I found out that she did know about Jesus and had been to church and even on a youth mission trip once. She also mentioned she had been baptized. I was elated, another prayer of mine had been answered. Remember earlier I had mentioned that I had prayed for a Christian to be placed in her life to help lead and guide her toward God and His love for her? That prayer was answered through her older brother who started taking her to church. He had been impacted by a Christian woman who had helped him.
I feel that God prompted me, through the Holy Spirit, to write my brother that letter on May 9, 2008, in the hopes of bringing reconciliation between them and our family. That letter was written almost exactly one year before my niece was kicked out of her home. God knew she was going through some tough times and He wanted to send help. When the desired results did not come from that letter God allowed me to find her on Facebook. It is no coincidence that she was the only name that came up in the search this time.
About a week after I started talking with my niece I was walking my dogs and talking to God. I asked Him why I felt such a strong connection with her. He revealed to me that I had connected to her emotionally through my inner little girl. My inner child had experienced the loss of a father first through alcoholism and then through a four year separation. I knew how much it hurt not to have my father emotionally plugged-in in my life to love me, listen to me, to take an interest in my life, to validate me and to help me feel safe and secure. I wanted so badly to save her from that kind of pain. When I realized the connection I told God He was right (as He always is) and I started to cry. As I was crying I walked passed a low bush, just a weed that grows in the field. It was in bloom with light pink flowers. I was already about 10 paces away when I felt like the Holy Spirit was telling me to go back and pick the pink flower. I went back and pulled a flower and continued my walk. I had been carrying a book with me because sometimes I read while I am walking. I took one of the pedals and pressed it in between the pages of the book. Then I realized this flower petal was shaped like a heart. Now I knew why God wanted me to pick that flower, it was His way of saying He loved me. A smile came across my face and I grinned from ear to ear. God had brought restoration for me and now He was doing the same for my niece. If I knew the name of this wild flower I would tell you. I am attaching a scanned image of the flower petal.
God is so good. First He has brought restoration to my own soul through my relationship with Him and now He is bringing restoration for my niece and my family. I am glad I was obedient about writing that letter to my brother. I truly believe my obedience was rewarded. Now that I have found my niece my family is complete. My heart is so full of joy; it overflows with love and thankfulness. Whatever you are going through and whatever circumstances you may be in I want to tell you never give up, never stop praying. If you have invited God into your life and Jesus into your heart He will be working on your behalf. His Word says that He works for the good of those who love him. This story is proof.
Romans 8:26-28 (The Message)Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
