I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was in pre-k. Recently we were asked in a sermon to really imagine what it must have been like for Abraham to be on that hike with Isaac for three days knowing that God had told him to show his faith by sacrificing his son (see Genesis 22). We were asked to imagine we didn't know the end of the story. I didn't have to stretch too far to imagine... This chapter of my story in (HIS)tory began in an airport in Germany in December of 1998. That was the worst day of my life. That was the day that my 2-year-old son and I boarded a plane after leaving my 6-year-old son with my now ex-husband. Even though I had worked for the week prior to prepare us both for the separation, nothing could prepare me for the heart-wrenching cries of, "Mommy, don't leave me," that came in the airport that day. You may be thinking, I could never leave my child behind, and I hope and pray that you never have to face that decision, but I was in a situation that I felt I had no other way out alive. I either had to trust God to take care of my child or leave both of my children without a mother. My ex-husband promised he would send my son to me in the States as soon a school was out for the summer, so I told God, "I can make it without him for five months if that is what I must do." It would be 18 months before I would see him again.

After our 7-year marriage disintegrated and I had to leave one of my children behind, I was a completely broken person. Looking back, I can see how God miraculously cared for my boys and me in so many ways. It was like the poem "Footprints in the Sand" by Margaret Fishback Powers. There was only one set of footprints for quite a while because I needed Jesus to carry me. And, He did, through unconditional love and support from my family and by bringing a wonderful man into my life who is now my husband. During that time, God gave me an unwavering conviction to avoid dragging my innocent children through what I knew would be an ugly custody battle. Although 18 months is a very long time to go without holding your child, God worked everything in his perfect timing and my older son was able to spend summers with my new husband and me every summer until he turned 14. That spring he called me and asked if he could live with us full time and his dad said yes! (I said yes too of course!) I don't have words to explain what a huge miracle from God that was!

Fast forward to today. My 6-year-old boy is all grown up now with a family of his own. He is one of the most kind and loving people I know and we have a very close relationship. His time without me and his experiences traveing between Germany and the States prepared him to be courageous and strong enough to venture to Hong Kong (twice) to court his new bride. On that day back in December of 1998 when my world was falling apart, I never could have imagined how God would work it all out for our good, but here we are being immeasurably blessed. God said, "Trust me with your son," and I'll never regret that I was obedient in faith like Abraham.