Listening To God

This past August, my cousin Laurie, whom I had never known, contacted and visited me. Laurie was attempting to locate members of our family after being orphaned 40 years ago. She was doing an Internet search of articles on the original family when she scored a single hit on an Episcopal parish in Arlington, Va., with our cousin George's name listed as a volunteer. Strangely, a few days later, the Web site no longer listed George on the site. Laurie wrote to George at the church, hoping that letters would be passed along to George. There was never a response.

On Dec. 29, I woke at 3 a.m. and was unable to return to sleep. I was deeply troubled by something, not knowing what. In the sheer silence, my subconscious opened over the next several hours, then suddenly the thought of my cousin George, whom I had never met, filled my heart. I understood from where this had come; it was God speaking to me in that silence asking me to find his lost sheep. It was now time to find George, because God had spoken.

In the morning, I went to the church from the Internet listing. Inside the sanctuary, I worshiped with Christians who looked like my home congregation. After the service, I was invited for coffee in the fellowship hall where I inquired of George. The kind lady responded with a smile, telling me that George was a "character," although she said his health had not been good. She introduced me to others who had more contact with him. I learned that life had been very hard on him.

They also told me where George lived, and I set off to find him. When I was unable to find his place, I returned to that lovely church. Those ladies, George's angels, told me that I didn't have to look further. George was in the church, although they said he didn't know any Patty. There up a long hallway I saw a tall, frail gentleman. He walked with a cane, slowly with the outward shaky signs of a stroke patient. I went to him and called his name, "George?" He said, "Yes," and stared at me with shock and disbelief. I told him who I was, and that I was his cousin. I told him that his family wanted to find him, that he had family who cared very much about him. He held his head, stunned, and was in tears. I held him and told him that he had been found.

In that moment when I hugged him, I saw God's love in his eyes, along with the redemption that comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ. I also saw redemption for George, a chance to have back his family after 40 years. And I knew beyond a doubt that the sound of sheer silence had opened my heart and ears to God's love.

— Patty Icke

Courtesy of The Church of the Good Shepherd United Methodist