On this date last year, through Facebook Messenger, I received an interesting message from a woman in Florida about a post I had made to the Immanuel Quilt Ministry Facebook page. You might remember the post. It was a picture of me with the Grandma Puppet and a write-up that we had gone with my friend Annie to serve the homeless.
Every month Annie takes wagon loads of essentials to hand out to the homeless. I went hoping Grandma Puppet could bring a few smiles to the downtrodden, but mostly, I wanted to go and observe Annie at work. The experience left me feeling overwhelmed and humbled. So, I wrote about it and posted it on the Immanuel Quilt Ministry Facebook page on November 8, 2022, tagging Annie in the post. (Post is pictured below.)
Then, eight months later, July 2023, I get this message:
Hi Joni! My name is Pam Mc and I live in Florida. I saw your page on Facebook and read about your ministry. On one of your posts, you mentioned Annie’s ministry to the homeless and to contact you as to how one can reach out to donate. I’d like to find out what types of things she needs monthly so I could physically buy things and send them to her.
I’ve thought long and hard about this and have prayed about reaching out. Annette is not only a sister in Christ but is my first cousin. Once I saw your post about her ministry, I knew I needed to reach out to you.
Immediately, I called Annie to relay the message. She didn’t know the woman, nor did she having any knowledge of having any cousins!
As I would soon find out, Pam wasn’t looing for the Immanuel Quilt, she stumbled upon the ministry page looking for Annie!
I don’t think we will ever fully fathom how choices made today power the events of tomorrow.
It just so happened that two weeks before receiving the message from Pam, I had asked Annie about her father at Bible Study. In the ten years I have known Annie she has often spoken fondly of her momma. But her daddy—never a word about him.
I believe God allowed my bluntly asked question to be a precursor to prepare Annie for what was coming in her life, for that afternoon she went home and thought about her father for the first time in a very long time. Incredibly, two weeks later she wasn’t just connected to a long-lost cousin that she didn’t know existed, but—a sister, too!
Blessed Beyond Measure
Over the last year, Annie, Pam, and Julie have drawn very close. Julie and Pam have been able to fill in the missing gaps in Annie’s memories of her father. Other than one time visiting her father at the age of ten, she had had no contact with her father since she was five years old.
While Annie had been hiding memories in the depths of her hope chest, never to be looked at again, her father held her close to his heart.
Through Julie and Pam, Annie has learned that her father surrendered his life to the Lord, that he became a good, godly man. Not the same abusive man her momma knew. Julie was able to live her life witnessing her father at his bedside praying on bended knee. Mr. Lane became a respected police officer; a man with a heart for serving the homeless—just like Annie.
Undeniably, the most touching and freeing thing that Annie has learned is that she had a father who never forgot her. He kept her photo prominently displayed on the coffee table for all to see. Annie, age 76, a giver of blessings—was delivered a blessing straight from heaven above. Experiencing the overwhelming love of God upon her, Annie was able to release past hurts and forgive her father.
I don’t know why God chose to use the Immanuel Quilt Ministry as a conduit to reunite Annie with her family, but I am grateful He did, and once again, I am in awe at what He has done.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” -Luke 6:38
“Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.” -Proverbs 19:17
“You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, who name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.” -Jeremiah 32:18-19
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” -James 1:17
It’s interesting that the original post put on Facebook has mysteriously disappeared, however, it remained long enough to do what God intended it to do.
God is so good!
Original Facebook Post November 8, 2022
