Reconciliation and Restoration-Peace!
By Jeannine Sawall
“ For
I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Seeing the two of them sitting next
to each other, smiling and chatting brought tears to my eyes. For the first time
in my 41 years, my mom and bio-dad were in the same room with each other
sitting and talking like old friends. I felt compelled to take of a picture of
the two of them but hesitated to do so. I didn’t want to make their first
meeting feel awkward.
I sat down with them and began
talking with both my parents! I pulled out pictures of my
family’s recent vacation and shared them with Larry while my mom looked on. Later
in the evening, my mom, stepdad and a couple of friends were sitting in the
family room with Larry…still talking! I asked if they were going to join us for
the fireworks. My mom smiled and said, “We’ll be down in a minute. We’re
working on getting Larry saved!”
The next day, I told my mom how
proud I was of her. She seemed so at ease with Larry after all these years, despite
the initial emotional struggle after he contacted me. She said it was good to
see him after all that time. I asked her if she had found “closure,” and she
said she hadn’t, but God had given her a peace that she hadn’t had before. She
shared how good it was to see Larry and me together. “He really does love you,
Bean. I’m so glad I had a chance to see that.” Sixteen days later, my mom died
in a car accident.
As I look back at that time, I see
the hand of God so very clearly in every detail. He brought Larry into my life
in His timing, not to replace my mom but to offer me the opportunity to develop
a father/daughter relationship I didn’t even know I was missing at a time I
would desperately need it. While my mom had experienced healing in many areas
of her life, Larry was the one “loose end” she struggled with. God, in His
goodness, allowed her to experience peace with Larry before she was called home,
and God allowed me to witness that process. God’s plans and timing may not
always be clear to us or easy to walk. But we can be sure His plans are for our
good, for hope and for a future, if we trust Him and allow Him to work in our
lives.
GOING
DEEPER:
- With whom does God desire you to reconcile?
- Where do you need to trust God with your
future?
FURTHER
READING:
Jeannine
is a wife and mother of four great boys. She works in the property management
business. Jeannine serves in several behind-the-scenes ministries at Oakwood
and has a heart for those who are grieving.
