April 3, 2011
A little background on my family history growing up.....
My mom though a believer, was not a very religious woman nor did she teach us anything about God unless it pertained to His wrath against us when we misbehaved. It was what she was taught and it was how she viewed God so I understand it today. Not surprisingly we rarely ever went to church when I was a little girl. Major holidays until I was about 9 or so, I'd say. Then nothing. So it shouldn't come as a shock to know that I didn't come to know God when I was young. I have 3 brothers who I cannot say if they themselves came to know God back then or not. I simply don't know.
Fast forward a bit till a year ago almost to the day. My oldest brother Rick who had lived a troubled life (not so much that he got into trouble but he was troubled, even tortured by injustices and sufferings) came to Michigan, homeless, desiring to be nearer to his family. A desire I shared greatly. I was very close with him and loved him very much! Of all my siblings, I was always the closest with him. He stayed with me for a few weeks and then went into a rotating homeless shelter during which time, I did everything I possibly could to help him. He suffered from Hepatitis C and had for a very long time. He was a drinker but had previously lived in a nursing home in Kentucky because he was homeless there as well (long story!). I helped him seek medical attention that he, for whatever reason, could not get in Kentucky.
I helped him sign up for Medicaid, transfer his Social Security Disability, took him to the hospital when he was sick, search for an apartment and in about a month of being in the shelter, God provided him with a one bedroom, low income apartment a few blocks away from me. He knew that God had provided and he was thankful. And I knew that God was beginning to heal and bring my family closer as He had promised.
Rick had never met his father...ever. He finally found him 10 years ago and contacted him and his father denied him. Following in his own father's footsteps, Rick had several children from different marriages/relationships that he had had over the years and was estranged from all of his 4 children but 1. And that was a very shaky relationship. It wasn't necessarily Rick that caused the relationships to be severed...one of his ex's left the state they were living in with his daughters 14 years ago and Rick never knew where they went. He fell out of contact with his ex wife when he was in the service and they divorced and she remarried and had his son adopted so there was no contact.
A little over 2 years ago now, Rick's son found his brother through a social network site and they were reunited through virtual communication. God used me as a mediator between the two as his son had a lot of confusion and some anger he needed to work through (understandably). A year ago, Rick's father was able to contact us through the tireless efforts of his nephew who also used the same social network site to search for Rick. Rick experienced a great deal of anger and bitterness toward his father for the decades of denial. Over that last year God privileged me with the honor of being a mediator between the two and a relationship, though terribly broken, did ensue.
This past summer we found one of Rick's daughters once again through the internet site (she had JUST created a profile) and communication began between Rick and his daughters. One was extremely bitter, the other angry but open to learning more about why they were estranged. She came to Michigan and spent a few days with us getting to know her father after 14 years. He was SO happy to see her! We all were. Rick passed from death to life November 17, 2010. But not before God began to heal Rick's own broken heart and the hearts of his father and children. Rick's father passed from death to life a week ago yesterday. I believe they are finally, fully and completely healed and whole.
I stand in awe of the wondrous ways in which God has been fulfilling the vision He gave me.
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