WINE Lenten Book Club – Day 38

My daughter was a few months shy of turning age 14 (1994). She went to spend the summer with her father in North Dakota. I live in Missouri. She was to return August 7th but didn’t. Her father cancelled the flight. I called the judge in ND who divorced us many years earlier. I was told my ex was violating the Federal Kidnapping Act, but he couldn’t say any more in case this came across his desk for ruling. Then in November I received a letter from the judge saying my sole custodial rights were revoked – what? No hearing?

I was at an emotional rock bottom, and cried out to God 24/7. I got so low that in one scary moment I thought of ending all my pain. But God intervened and crisis averted. Got immediate help. In January 1997 my daughter called saying she missed me and wanted me to come visit her in February. It was great to see her after so long. She returned home later in May after school ended.

During a heart-to-heart, after she returned home in 1997, she said how she wanted to come home November 1994 but wanted to prove her point…that I was wrong about her father. But she didn’t want me to know how wrong she was. I assured her I would not have ever thought that; all I wanted was for her to be safe. She was much more appreciative of me, and my life experiences, than before. I was so grateful she was okay, and back home. God did good.