REUNIONS

Today was truly a blessing to me. Over the past week, I found someone so close to our family. It was over 13 years ago, my brother was in the middle of a very difficult divorce. He tried to remain in his son's life by visits and such, but on one visit, he was forced to face a reality that he never thought possible. His ex wife was a member of a very prominent family who was not happy about their little girl's broken marriage, and they made it clear through some very specific instructions and signs that he was no longer to be in his son's life.

Years had passed, and my nephew had grown up, away from the hole that was left in the hearts of all of us in the family. His sister, my niece, had attempted to find him and contact him, to no avail. My mom attempted to contact his grandmother to ask at his 18th birthday to find him and to reconnect. She was told not to bother. Over the years, he was a missing piece. It was a brokenness that has been with us since we lost him to this bitter divorce. Yet despite all our efforts, we never knew what became of him.

Thanks to that horrible thing I spoke of earlier in my blogs, that wicked "social network" called MySpace, I was able to find him. I looked through his page, and sent him a very personal message. I asked if he was the same who was born of his mother's name, and asked him to contact me via my AIM account and left him my screen name. Within days, I received a message while I was online. It was incredibly, my nephew. Looking at him talk to me online... through these words, that appeared almost magically on the computer screen, my heart stopped. My eyes welled up with tears and I yelled for my mom to come into my room.

She came and I told her who I was chatting with. We immediately wanted to talk to him. And we were all so very overcome with a wellspring of elation. It was so surreal. And so we began talking on the phone, and I began to make phone calls about the surprise I had in store for my brother. He has never been the same, losing his son. This boy was his pride and joy. This boy was his buddy. And this boy was his life blood! We then kept in phone contact until this afternoon when I could see him, for coffee.

We met at a Starbucks outside the town where he was going to college now, majoring in music and theology. I was amazed that we were both introspective thinkers, with many shared views on both theology and life. I was equally amazed that this boy who I babysat as a 15 year old, was not a boy anymore but a wonderfully grown man. He was everything our whole family prayed he would become.

Over the course of our chat, we discussed religion, philosophy, psychology, politics, and we talked about our lives over the past 13 years. We talked about the family he had missed knowing, and the man he had become in our absence. And we vowed to remain connected, as he had also been searching for us. He was quite intelligent and very gifted in musical ability as well as his understanding of people.

At the end of our nearly 2 hour chat, since we were both quite spiritual, and both believed this reunion was a blessing from God, we prayed together. I broke down in the middle of what I was saying, and began weeping so uncontrollably, that I couldn't continue. He came over and hugged me and continued our prayer where I left off. And as I write this blog, I again well up with tears. Overjoyed, I know that all reunions of lost friends and loved ones in our life are indeed blessings.

I know that in my life, there have been people who have come and gone. And no relationship has ever ended in a "good way" or it wouldn't have ended in the first place. Those which have ended have always ended because of some painful moment or circumstance. And the opportunity is always there for reconciliation, repentance, and reunions. It is only through the blessing of God on the hearts of those who are seeking to mend those lost ties that bind us, are we truly given another opportunity at knowing the love that has been missing from our hearts. Those 13 years without my nephew, has allowed me to recognize that God led us back together at the right time and place in our lives when we were ready for that reunion. And that missing part of my heart was filled this day.

This week, as an early Christmas present to my brother, I will bring his son to reunite with his dad; his buddy; his life blood. And I can only imagine the emotion that will be in the room during that moment. I don't doubt the emotions will be overwhelming. And I pray still, for the day to reunite with old friends and loved ones from my past, if not in this life then at least in the one to come.

Thanks for reunions, God, truly one of your many wonderful blessings!