Suddenly

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest…Luke 2:13-14a It was October of 2021. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. I was in Florida, walking on the beach. I could hear the waves break and the birds were everywhere. I don’t know what it is about the birds at the beach – they are beautiful and also annoying. They are aggressive and yet graceful. I was really enjoying the solitude of a walk alone on the beach – the beach is my most happiest place. I used to work in the mental health field and at times would do guided relaxation. While I have some discomfort with this idea, it was required of the job. It starts out with go to the place (in your mind) that you feel most relaxed and peaceful. Immediately I go to the beach. There have been times of anxiety in the dentist chair that I also use this technique and go to the beach in my mind. My phone rang disturbing my peace. It was my eldest son. He doesn’t call often. I answered. He was in a panic. He started with the familiar request – Mom, I need you to pray! He had difficulty getting the words all together but I knew something very serious was going on – it was just an ordinary fall morning in Northern Missouri for him. His seven year old daughter had left for school on a very ordinary morning. She was walking with a good friend. A car pulled up. The familiar face of her biological mother appeared as the window was rolled down. MOM! Excited to see her mother she approached the car. Her friend said – don’t go! Don’t do it. But she did. She got in the car. Mom is not stable. We are all flawed and damaged people so I won’t say much about her other than this was not good for my sweet granddaughter. Police were called. There was nothing anyone could do. Neither parent had a court order that could be inforced. She was gone. To where? No one knew. Over the last two plus years, we’ve heard various things. People had some idea where she was but the legal issues had never been resolved and also no one knew for sure where she was – we were in emotional purgatory waiting for news of deliverance. I prayed. Other’s prayed. Dad worked on his own life. Dad had other children and eight grandchildren. But there was a huge hole in his heart. There was a huge hole in all our hearts. Where was she? Was she really okay? Family members had dreams – some were nightmares, some were dreams of hope. It’s December 2023. Another Christmas is coming with no progress on finding our precious granddaughter. My phone rings again. Again it is my eldest son. He’s talking fast again. He’s asking me to pray again. He announced “I am 99.9% sure I know where she is! She’s in Idaho.” Idaho is a long way away from Northern Arkansas. Rumor was that the mom had taken her to Idaho so that a friend of hers could take care of her. The family sprung into action – especially this grandma. Within 24 hours dad was on his way to find his little girl. He found her almost immediately. He located the school she attended. He even got to see her briefly. But there was a problem. This woman now had legal guardianship and her dad couldn’t take her. But we knew where she was. In the most expensive but most worthwhile Christmas present I’ve ever given, I paid for an attorney. Legal proceedings were begun immediately. We were told that it was hopeful that after the first of the year there would be a hearing for transfer of guardianship. Dad returned home to Missouri. We resumed life and prayer. We all prepared for Christmas with some hope. Five days before Christmas, I get another call from my son. He was very excited and I wasn’t sure whether it would be good news or bad news – I wasn’t expecting any news for weeks. The attorney had petitioned the court and the court award my son immediate emergency guardianship. I literally burst into tears. I could barely talk. I still can’t talk about it without tearing up – I am even as I write this. Today it is two days before Christmas. I am watching an app on my phone as my son is a few blocks from the house where his baby girl is living. He drove 22 hours in the last 36 hours accompanied by one of his granddaughters. I am praying for more good news soon. Suddenly, we had a miracle. A miracle years in the making but yet suddenly manifested. On an ordinary day, our lives all changed in October of 2021. Suddenly, today, December 23, 2023 our lives changed again. I just talked to my sweet granddaughter. She said, I haven’t seen you in a very long time. She sounded very happy. I am praising God today in the midst of many tears of joy and gratitude. That which is lost can be found. Those prayers you’ve prayed for years can suddenly be answered. Jesus has proved that to me over and over and over again. And He did it again – suddenly!