The Story of My Christmas Miracle: An 11-Year-Old's Tale of Hope and Joy
The charm and warmth of this season bring a feeling to most people that anything is possible. Maybe you’re like our family and enjoy cuddling up on the couch to watch Hallmark dramas. These dramas cast heartfelt lessons of families realizing what’s most important in life. In some story lines, you see children getting their “wish” come true. The heart, faith and motives are tested. I think most of us enjoy these movies because we can relate in some way and we love how there’s always a happy ending. In the first five minutes of a Hallmark movie, Brent jokes with me and ALWAYS says, “You want me to tell you how this ends? I can tell you right now.”
If you're a christian like me, you know that Christmas is not a season to be caught up in commercialism. But it’s a season to reflect on our Savior, Emmanual, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Jesus Christ is the greatest gift to mankind. So, if this season gets you in the “Spirit” to believe in miracles, put your trust in Jesus! He is The Miracle Worker and He hasn't stopped!
If you read my blog post about my childhood, you’ll know I didn’t have an easy one. I don’t reference it with joy of what I experienced, but I reference it because of the healing that God provided to me when I gave my life to Him. He restored the broken places and relationships in my life because that's what He does best! Every Christmas I usually tell this story at least once because every Christmas I’m reminded of the amazing miracle that God did for me.
I believed in Santa-Kinda
I grew up in a fatherless home with instability and poverty, to say the least. When I was 11 years old my curiosity about my father grew.The wound of not growing up with my biological dad was surfacing and with my determined personality, I independently pursued answers to know more about him. My mom didn’t tell me very much about him except how they met, why they divorced and that his home was in Nicaragua. She had no contact with him over the years as I grew up. Thankfully, I had contact with one aunt on my paternal side who lived in the U.S., but she moved back to Nicaragua when I was very young. Her daughter remained in the U.S. so she was the only cousin I knew while growing up. There were more cousins in Washington State, but I only met them when I was very young.
You say, what does this have to do with Christmas or Santa??
Well, as a child, I always believed that Santa was real. But as most children do, I grew out of the believing phase and came to the “reality”, that he’s not real (shhh, don’t tell:😉).
I was ten years old when I stopped believing in Santa, only that year I wrote him a letter and somehow, he wrote me back which I thought was pretty cool.
Once I was 11 years old, I didn’t believe in Santa anymore, but with my 11-year-old reasoning, I thought if Santa wrote back last year (when I was ten), maybe he’d write me this year!
I said to myself, “I’m not asking for a toy this year; I want some answers! My Christmas wish is to know my dad. I want to know if Santa knows how I can get a hold of my dad!”
So off I mailed my letter to Santa, straight to the North Pole, in hopes of receiving some answers about my dad. I knew he had a crew of elves, surely one of them would be able to help me out!!
And guess what, Santa wrote back!
In the letter I received from Santa, I was given an address to a Pastor in Washington State, who used to work with my dad. When I received this information in the mail, I was so excited to finally have a lead to my dad! I questioned if one of the postal service workers did research in their database to find my dad's name. But then again if it waaas “Santa” he has magical ways of making miracles happen!
Contact Finally Made
I wrote the Pastor a letter asking him about my dad. Shockingly I received a letter back with the exact information on how to contact my dad. I was only 11 then, so I vaguely remember some of the details. But long story short, I was able to find my dad because of the letter I wrote Santa!
Now of course, I don’t believe in Santa, but I do believe miracles still happen today!
I don’t know who received my letter and read it or who wrote back with the information to reach my dad. Maybe it was an angel (Hebrews 1:14)?? But quite frankly, I don’t want to know. My whole life since that time, I’ve given glory to God for the miracle He performed through my childish ways and childish faith to write Santa a letter. Every Christmas, I remember the miracle of God answering my prayer!
I’ve had contact with my dad as a result of those events and it’s now been 23 years since I wrote that letter. My dad’s home has been in Nicaragua for all his life, besides when he resided in the U.S. years before I was a baby. When I finally made contact with Humberto, I learned that my he was remarried and had 3 additional children, two girls and a boy! My family is large! Even though I'm a single child between my mom and dad, between my mom and dads other relationships I have 4 sisters and 1 brother-WOW! I'm thankful for technology, as it’s been a means to stay in contact and get to know my family over the years. But my dream wasn’t only to get to know my dad from a distance, but to one day meet him in person.
Restoration Of Many Years Lost
I can’t begin to explain how much restoration has taken place from all the years that were lost not knowing my dad during my childhood. For 14 years my dad and I both prayed to get to meet each other one day. Over those years we built relationship and wrote letters and eventually would video chat. But there is nothing like being in the presence of your family! We believed this would be a miracle if it happened.
It became more challenging for me to visit Nicaragua as the years progressed. This was because it wasn’t just me anymore, we we’re talking about years of time passing and so much changing over those years. I eventually became married, and before our first wedding anniversary, we were expecting Olivia, our daughter! Then shortly after Olivia, we had Asher and then kept having babies (Micah and Hunter)! So, the reality of taking a vacation and paying for airline tickets for our family of (eventually) six, was difficult to accomplish. It just wasn’t the right time.
On my dad’s end, he needed to get a visa and passport and accomplish other things financially to make it possible to come to the U.S. We both had challenges and prayed God would help us past those challenges to make this dream of ours come true.
My dad worked so hard and was able finally able to secure a visa and passport. But covering the cost of an airline ticket was his next big hurdle.
An Unexpected Surprise
One day, I was having a conversation with one of my cousins who lives in Washington. I was telling her about wanting to meet my dad. I must admit that I didn’t grow up having contact with or knowing this cousin (or any of my cousins in her immediate family). I was estranged from them, with only a faint memory of meeting them when I was around 4 years old. Fast forward to the years of my adulthood, they were only acquaintances thanks to technology like Facebook. Sadly, their father (my uncle) passed suddenly from cancer. I never had a chance to know my uncle, but it was sad to see my four female cousins and their mom without him in their lives anymore.
So, the day I was having a conversation with her about my dad, I was shocked by what came of it. She told me life was too short and I needed to meet my dad. After sharing the pain and devastation of the sudden loss of her dad, she said she didn’t want me to lose an opportunity for this dream of ours to come true. To my surprise, right then and there she said she wanted to pay for my dad’s airline ticket! I was shocked by her generosity since I hardly knew her. But God used her! And she knew the reality of this miracle that would be taking place. She knew the painful voide of not having a dad in her life and she didn’t want that for me. God made a way through her! I’m forever grateful! It all happened because of her generosity and God's grace!
We Finally Met!
I was 25 years old when the day finally came that I was able to meet Humberto, my biological father!!
Although my heart yearned over all those years to meet my dad sooner than I was actually able to, I’ve reflected on the hand of God and His perfect timing in my life for such an event. There was soo much restoration between us! Instead of just myself meeting my dad, when the time came for him to come to the US, he was able to meet his son-in-law and his grandchildren!
We both learned so much about each other by just spending time in each others company. We had some very healing conversations, and he asked me for forgiveness for not being present in my life while growing up. We both wept on each other’s shoulders as God showered His grace over us during that time. It was such a blessing when he came to visit. I made a point to soak up every moment we had together, because I didn’t know when I would see him again after he returned to Nicaragua.
I'm pleased to say since then, we’ve seen each other in person almost every year. Last year was an exception since our family lived in an RV and traveled. But Humberto's been able to meet all the grandkids to this point, we've made so many amazing memories and we’ve grown to love looking forward to his next trip to the U.S. each time!
Future Plans-Never Stop Believing
Brent and I still have a goal and desire to visit Nicaragua and see my father's home country. In Nicaragua, I have family I’ve never met and heritage I’ve yet to learn more about. My grandparents and aunts and uncles are elderly now and passing into eternity with every year that goes by, but just as God made a way for my dad to come here, I know in the right timing, He will make a way for my husband and I to visit soon! And eventually our children with us too.
Are You Believing for Restoration?
What Christmas miracle are you wishing for? Miracles are still possible! God will bring the impossible into the realm of the possible so put your trust in Jesus, the One who makes the way!!
If you’re praying for restoration in your family line or with a family member such as what I shared, please let me pray for you! Jesus was called the “Repairer of the Breach” and “Restorer of the Paths” (Is.58:12b). Maybe you don't know that this type of restoration is possible. I hope this encouraged you and you know that God is not done with your story!
Just as I was restored to a relationship with my father, I think about the paralllel of how God did that for us! Jesus was sent to Earth, from Heaven, to be born and to die for our sin and later would be resurrected-defeating death! It's by Jesus birth, death, burial and resurrection that we can put our trust in Jesus and the finished work of the cross. When you put your trust in Jesus, you are restored to right standing with God our Heavenly Father. He is yearning for a relationship with you!! Now that is the greatest miracle of all!! Don't delay, He is ready to recieve you today!
Comments