This Journey

About a month ago my dad called and asked for a favor. A friend of his had run out of phone minutes, and needed to check on his granddaughter who was having seizures. I was excited to have something tangible to do to help if I could so I called the number he gave me. A sweet lady named Liz answered.

I have done this for both my mom and dad before, and I can tell you that you just really never know what kind of person you're going to get on the other end of the line, but I knew at once that I was going to like her. She had laughter in her voice. She was courteous, and sounded ever so grateful for my call. You can only imagine the relief I felt at her not perceiving it to be an imposition.

We only talked for a few minutes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I passed the message on to my dad when he called awhile later that the little girl was doing better, and expected that to be the end of it other than following through with praying for her as I had promised.

As God would have it she ended up calling me back a few days later to ask me to pass on another message to her fiance, Mik. The hearing date for his appeal had still not been set.

During the course of this conversation, I was sharing a little more about myself and my parents when she suddenly said, "Wait a second, I know who you are. Isn't your mom in a prison in California heading up a Bible study that is changing the inmates lives? I sent a book to her last week. I've heard so much about your family. I can't believe it's you and that we're talking!" It was the sweetest thing! And just like God. It turns out that she and Mik are Christians. She started writing to him while he was in prison because they had been friends when they were younger, and they ended up getting engaged! Such a neat story. I promised that we would pray that Mik would get time served at the hearing and be released. He was able to renew his minutes shortly thereafter so our correspondence once again ceased.

Then my mom called me one Saturday IN TEARS. She rarely ever cries. Once she could talk again, she told me that she had been working on the necessary paperwork to get the prison to grant her all the time off she has earned. I had offered to send her more money earlier in the week, but she thought she was good for awhile still. The next day she found out that she needed to send paperwork to four different people and they each wanted four copies of the documentation. When it was all said and done she was going to have to make something like 70 copies. She knew she didn't have enough for that, so Saturday morning she prayed about it. Then she got up and started heading downstairs for count.

On her way down, the Lord told her "Go make a phone call." She thought that was odd because she doesn't usually makes calls on the weekends, but she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Okay, I'll go call Sherri. That sounds good." Instead of calling me though she punched in the numbers to check her phone minutes and commissary total. Again, something that is abnormal because she doesn't use up all her minutes before the month is over. When she heard the total she was sure it had to be a mistake.

She hurried over to the other building to check, and sure enough $100 had been put onto her account the day before by somebody that she didn't even know. Needless to say, she was shocked that a complete stranger would be so generous to her! She said, "Sherri, do you know how much $100 is? When you're used to making 12 cents an hour that's a small fortune! They could have given $1 or $5 or $10 and they chose to give a whole $100! And to somebody they don't even know." To say she was touched would be an understatement! She had a need that only the Lord knew about and He provided that need abundantly! Immediately. That is all God!!!

On Monday my dad called. Lo and behold, he couldn't wait to tell me that Liz and Mik had put $100 on his commissary account. He couldn't believe it when I told him that they must have been the ones who gave my mom money, too. Oh, the tears of gratefulness that were shed that weekend! I tear up just thinking about it even now. You just never know where the paths He takes you down are going to lead. This has been the most exciting journey EVER!

On Tuesday my dad called again and said that Mik was heading out for his hearing that was set for Thursday afternoon. They had lunch together, and he told my dad that a lady, who was a reliable source, told him that he wouldn't be coming back! That was what we had been praying for!!! Mik gave my dad a bunch of his stuff, told him that he wouldn't forget about him, and that he and my mom have their full support.

I called Liz right away to tell her the news. She was ecstatic! I started to get nervous, not wanting her to be disappointed if what we had heard ended up not happening, but she reminded me that THIS is what we have been praying for and THIS was His answer!

Thursday afternoon immediately after the hearing Liz called me, asked me how I was, and then handed the phone to Mik! The judge had given him time-served, and he was free to go home!!! My mom and dad called me twice each yesterday asking if I had heard yet. We have been praying so hard for them, and we all feel that God has knit our hearts together through prayer. I love those two and we've never even met! God is just so amazing.

Congratulations Mik and Liz!!! We are so, so happy for you. And God bless you for all you have done for our family. You don't know what a tremendous blessing and encouragement you have been to us. We love you!