CHAIN OF LOVE
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths
--Psalm 25:3
I have always believed in God and prayer and when people said God talked to them, I never doubted them, but I wondered what it was like. What type of voice is heard? Why didn’t God talk to me? Maybe some people were more blessed than others.
Then something happened to me a few years ago as I was praying for my granddaughter. At first, I thought I was losing my mind.
My son Leo and daughter-in-law Celeste had a beautiful child they named Felicia. After a few years, they divorced and my son received custody of his daughter, but Celeste stayed close to her too.
When Felicia was nine years old, her mom went to South Carolina to visit friends. Celeste called Felicia to say she would be home in a few days and that she was mailing Felicia a key chain with her name on it.
But Celeste didn’t come home.
Celeste’s mother had been receiving calls from Celeste every day, but the calls stopped. Her mom became very concerned and called several state police stations, but no one had any information. A couple of days later, a state trooper from
Poor Felicia went through all the emotions no child should have to endure. I visited in her bedroom where she was sitting quietly on the floor. I sat down on the floor too and we began to talk. Felicia mentioned that the last time she had talked to her mom on the phone, she sounded happy that she was on her way home and would see her in a few days. Through tears Felicia recalled her mom telling her that she was mailing a key chain with her name on it. But Felicia never received it.
A few days later I left work to visit Leo and Felicia again. I drove continuously praying for Celeste’s family, but mostly for my granddaughter. As I got off the exit to my son’s house, I heard a voice…not of human nature, neither male nor female…telling me, “Get a key chain for Felicia.”
“What?”
“Get a key chain for Felicia.”
I was so confused. Where would I even begin to look?
Again, “Get a key chain for Felicia.”
By this time I started to cry out loud, “Where God, where?”
I was close to my son’s driveway when I heard the voice say, “Follow and you will see.”
I was told to get on the turnpike, and through my tears, I obeyed. I was told which exit to get off and I did. I was told to turn into the mall, where to park and where to walk. As I passed several stores, I was told to turn left and to enter the next store. The next store, I realized, sold costume jewelry for young girls. I walked in, looked around and did not see anything like a key chain.
I looked at the cashier. “You don’t have any key chains in here, do you?”
She said, “Yes, right there,” and pointed to an entire round rack of key chains of all types, shapes and colors. Now I was really confused. Which one should I pick? I was told, “Get the blue one that has the word ANGEL on it.”
I questioned, “Why this one? Why one that says ANGEL?”
Obediently, I took it to the cashier and was surprised that it only cost a couple of dollars.
With the key chain in hand, I got into my car and headed back to my son’s. I parked in his driveway and I heard the words, “Write on the back of the key chain.”
“With what?” I wondered. I started looking in my glove box for a permanent marker. But, I heard “Use a pen.”
I grabbed a pen from my purse and was told to write on the back and what to write.
The metal was soft enough to engrave. I was shocked when I found myself writing, “To Felicia. Be Good. Mom.”
Then I went into the house.
My son was in the living room. I asked, “Where’s Felicia?”
My heart was pounding with excitement as I held the key chain behind my back. Leo wanted to know what was going on. I told him I needed to see Felicia and I winked. He called for my granddaughter and she rushed out yelling “Grandma!” and hugged me.
I told her, “I have something for you that is very important.”
She just stared at me with no expression and asked, “What?”
I reminded her about her last conversation with her mom and about the key chain. I said, “I think I found it.”
“Where?” she asked, clearly confused.
“It doesn’t matter where, I was just told to get it.”
I handed her the key chain and she started to cry. She showed it to her dad.
I said, “I don’t know why it says ANGEL on it. Didn’t your mom say it had your name on it?”
Leo said, “Oh dear God, Mom. When Felicia was born, Celeste wanted to name her Angel, but I talked her out of it.”
That’s when I started to cry. I knew the Holy Spirit spoke to me to deliver Felicia’s key chain from her mom.
--Paula J. Cote
