I want to tell you a story that is very close to my heart and kindles the fire of awe within me when I think about it. It has all the qualities of a miracle and a blessing from our Father.
I lost my father at age two to a car wreck. At age five, I was blessed with a wonderful step father. I have five brothers and sisters, and I was treated better than his blood children. He has left this life but is not forgotten.
My mother told me little about my real father over the years. Caroll and I have always been interested in family history. Researching and traveling in search of that history is something we love to do together. About eight years ago, I began asking my mother for information about my real father. She had little to tell and only one picture to share. I did learn one important fact that opened the door to discovery. I learned that he was born and raised in Cross Plains, Texas. I searched the internet and found nothing. I think it was the summer of 2005 that we decided to take a trip to San Antonio, and take a side trip to Baird, Texas, the county seat for the county Cross Plains is in. Thus begins the miracle journey.
At the county court house in Baird, we found my father's birth record. That was interesting in itself, but we decided to drive to the small town of Cross Plains and check around for any Newtons living there. We drove through the town and could not find access to a phone book. On a whim, we stopped at the little newspaper office there. A lady that worked at the paper was walking in to the office when we pulled up. I told her what our mission was and she said a man with the last name of Newton had just moved into town a short time back from the country. His name is Dewit Newton. I didn't connect it, but Caroll did. Caroll said, that is your father's cousin and best friend your mother told us about. I was shocked. No way! This has to be someone else. My mother is in her seventies, I told the newspaper lady.Do you think he is around that same age. Probably in that area, she replied. She knew where he lived, and gave us directions. What a so-called coincidence or, as I now know, a part of God's miracle that she would be walking in at the very moment we drove up and would know this information we needed.
Caroll and I followed the directions to his home. I parked in the street in front of the home. We both walked up to the door and knocked. A lady answered. I asked if this is where Dewit Newton lives. She said, yes, he is outside. Let me get him. At that moment, a man walked into the living room and looked at me standing in the doorway. He stood there with big eyes like he was looking at a ghost and exclaimed, you're Grady's boy! My heart jumped out of my body as I said, yes, I am. He got a big smile on his face and walked over to me and shook my hand. Within a very few minutes, Caroll and I were looking through a box of my family pictures with Dewit. He was really excited and talked and talked. I saw my dad... I saw my great great grandparents that were immigrants from Holland. After a while we ended the visit with picture taking and hugs. I told Dewit we would return and call and all the family type stuff.
We drove off into the sunset toward San Antonio in total awe of what had just transpired. When we arrived back home in Oklahoma, I told my mother all about our meeting with Dewit. Soon, after that, I called Dewit.
It seems that just two hours after our visit, God took Dewit home to him. Our hearts sank. Dewit had given me his sisters phone number that lived in Cross Plains. I called her. Evidently, Dewit had been living to see me then his life had been fulfilled, and an empty portion of me had been filled.
What miracles our Father gives us if we but ask.
I lost my father at age two to a car wreck. At age five, I was blessed with a wonderful step father. I have five brothers and sisters, and I was treated better than his blood children. He has left this life but is not forgotten.
My mother told me little about my real father over the years. Caroll and I have always been interested in family history. Researching and traveling in search of that history is something we love to do together. About eight years ago, I began asking my mother for information about my real father. She had little to tell and only one picture to share. I did learn one important fact that opened the door to discovery. I learned that he was born and raised in Cross Plains, Texas. I searched the internet and found nothing. I think it was the summer of 2005 that we decided to take a trip to San Antonio, and take a side trip to Baird, Texas, the county seat for the county Cross Plains is in. Thus begins the miracle journey.
At the county court house in Baird, we found my father's birth record. That was interesting in itself, but we decided to drive to the small town of Cross Plains and check around for any Newtons living there. We drove through the town and could not find access to a phone book. On a whim, we stopped at the little newspaper office there. A lady that worked at the paper was walking in to the office when we pulled up. I told her what our mission was and she said a man with the last name of Newton had just moved into town a short time back from the country. His name is Dewit Newton. I didn't connect it, but Caroll did. Caroll said, that is your father's cousin and best friend your mother told us about. I was shocked. No way! This has to be someone else. My mother is in her seventies, I told the newspaper lady.Do you think he is around that same age. Probably in that area, she replied. She knew where he lived, and gave us directions. What a so-called coincidence or, as I now know, a part of God's miracle that she would be walking in at the very moment we drove up and would know this information we needed.
Caroll and I followed the directions to his home. I parked in the street in front of the home. We both walked up to the door and knocked. A lady answered. I asked if this is where Dewit Newton lives. She said, yes, he is outside. Let me get him. At that moment, a man walked into the living room and looked at me standing in the doorway. He stood there with big eyes like he was looking at a ghost and exclaimed, you're Grady's boy! My heart jumped out of my body as I said, yes, I am. He got a big smile on his face and walked over to me and shook my hand. Within a very few minutes, Caroll and I were looking through a box of my family pictures with Dewit. He was really excited and talked and talked. I saw my dad... I saw my great great grandparents that were immigrants from Holland. After a while we ended the visit with picture taking and hugs. I told Dewit we would return and call and all the family type stuff.
We drove off into the sunset toward San Antonio in total awe of what had just transpired. When we arrived back home in Oklahoma, I told my mother all about our meeting with Dewit. Soon, after that, I called Dewit.
It seems that just two hours after our visit, God took Dewit home to him. Our hearts sank. Dewit had given me his sisters phone number that lived in Cross Plains. I called her. Evidently, Dewit had been living to see me then his life had been fulfilled, and an empty portion of me had been filled.
What miracles our Father gives us if we but ask.
We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!
Luke 15:32
For those who have faith...in death there is life everlasting. Amen
